Personality Features and Personality Disorders in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Population-Based Study

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Psychother Psychosom
• Personal Author:
  Nater, Urs M. ; Jones, James F. ; Lin, Jin-Mann S. ; Maloney, Elizabeth ; Reeves, William C. ; Heim, Christine
• Description:
  Background
  
  Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) presents unique diagnostic and management challenges. Personality may be a risk factor for CFS and may contribute to the maintenance of the illness.
  
  Methods
  
  501 study participants were identified from the general population of Georgia: 113 people with CFS, 264 with unexplained unwellness but not CFS (insufficient fatigue, ISF) and 124 well controls. We used the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire, 4th edition, to evaluate DSM-IV personality disorders. We used the NEO Five-Factor Inventory to assess personality features (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness). The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory measured 5 dimensions of fatigue, and the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form 36 measured 8 dimensions of functional impairment.
  
  Results
  
  Twenty-nine percent of the CFS cases had at least 1 personality disorder, compared to 28% of the ISF cases and 7% of the well controls. The prevalence of paranoid, schizoid, avoidant, obsessive-compulsive and depressive personality disorders were significantly higher in CFS and ISF compared to the well controls. The CFS cases had significantly higher scores on neuroticism, and significantly lower scores on extraversion than those with ISF or the well controls. Personality features were correlated with selected composite characteristics of fatigue.
  
  Conclusions
  
  Our results suggest that CFS is associated with an increased prevalence of maladaptive personality features and personality disorders. This might be associated with being noncompliant with treatment suggestions, displaying unhealthy behavioral strategies and lacking a stable social environment. Since maladaptive personality is not specific to CFS, it might be associated with illness per se rather than with a specific condition.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Adolescent Adult Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic Female Humans Male Middle Aged Personality Personality Assessment Personality Disorders Population-based Study Psychiatric Status Rating Scales Regular Article Statistics, Nonparametric Young Adult

  More +
• Source:
  Psychother Psychosom. 2010; 79(5):312-318.
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Volume:
  79
• Issue:
  5
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:acf40d260db23e5bd9bde9bc01c8e58d38f1c2e622b90e608c514aa5f202a286
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/4368/cdc_4368_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 127.29 KB ]