Coping and illness cognitions: Chronic fatigue syndrome

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Abstract

The chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is described, and research on coping with this illness reviewed and analysed. CFS is a severely disabling illness of unknown etiology, which has occurred in epidemic forms all over the world. However, the number of sufferers has dramatically increased over previous years. The heterogeneous symptomatology of CFS was reviewed, and diagnostic criteria were discussed. The difficulty in establishing causality was emphasized. An interaction of factors appears most likely to be associated with illness onset and maintenance. As the mediating factor could be sufferers' coping behavior, the existing coping literature was reviewed. There might be an association between coping and physical and psychological well-being. Finally, recommendations are made for longitudinal research on coping and coping effectiveness, and for the development of therapeutic interventions.

Section snippets

The importance of coping with cfs

Research into interventions to increase psychological well-being has been rare, as most cognitive-behavioral interventions are aimed at increasing physical functioning. It is argued here that greater attention should be paid to the patient's emotional and psychological state. This could be achieved by focusing on the patient's coping behavior. In accordance with this, the literature on coping with CFS was reviewed.

It has been recognized that literature reviews are often influenced by the

Coping research: findings, methodological issues, and implications for therapy

The investigation of coping in CFS has focused on two main issues: coping differences between different groups of sufferers, and possible associations between coping and outcome. Both lines of research, it has been suggested, can point to the adaptiveness or maladaptiveness of coping efforts. Adaptive strategies are those associated with physical and/or mental well-being and adjustment, while maladaptive strategies might be associated with illness maintenance or exacerbation of difficulties in

Coping-focused therapy in cfs

Several psychosocial therapies have been considered for CFS including psychoanalysis (Taerk & Gnam, 1994) and therapeutic interventions focusing on the intrapsychic and interpersonal aspects of the patient (Burke, 1992). In addition, Abbey (1996) suggests group and supportive psychotherapy, relaxation- and meditation-based therapies, and marital and family therapy. Action research involving patients' development of models, language, and service delivery, has also been suggested (Denz-Penhey &

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