Common and unique associated factors for medically unexplained chronic widespread pain and chronic fatigue
Common and unique associated factors for medically unexplained chronic widespread pain and chronic fatigue
Objective: chronic widespread pain and chronic fatigue share common associated factors but these associations may be explained by the presence of concurrent depression and anxiety.
Methods: we mailed questionnaires to a randomly selected sample of people in the UK to identify participants with chronic widespread pain (ACR 1990 definition) and those with chronic fatigue. The questionnaire assessed sociodemographic factors, health status, healthcare use, childhood factors, adult attachment, and psychological stress including anxiety and depression. To identify persons with unexplained chronic widespread pain or unexplained chronic fatigue; we examined participant's medical records to exclude medical illness that might cause these symptoms.
Results: of 1443 participants (58.0% response rate) medical records of 990 were examined. 9.4% (N = 93) had unexplained chronic widespread pain and 12.6% (N = 125) had unexplained chronic fatigue. Marital status, childhood psychological abuse, recent threatening experiences and other somatic symptoms were commonly associated with both widespread pain and fatigue. No common effect was found for few years of education and current medical illnesses (more strongly associated with chronic widespread pain) or recent illness in a close relative, neuroticism, depression and anxiety scores (more strongly associated with chronic fatigue). Putative associated factors with a common effect were associated with unexplained chronic widespread pain or unexplained chronic fatigue only when there was concurrent anxiety and/or depression.
Discussion: this study suggests that the associated factors for chronic widespread pain and chronic fatigue need to be studied in conjunction with concurrent depression/anxiety. Clinicians should be aware of the importance of concurrent anxiety or depression.
484-491
McBeth, J.
98012716-66ba-480b-9e43-ac53b51dce61
Tomenson, B.
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Chew-Graham, C.A.
08175aa6-35e2-4f56-974f-be33e26f7295
Macfarlane, G.J.
332acabb-a9cf-4434-b375-c8dd3a659e9f
Jackson, J.
83bf8fea-4098-4358-ad45-ee9e0dcc3493
Littlewood, A.
8658ebc3-02b3-4092-ac82-2eba2d17dc23
Creed, F.H.
64fa9b04-d03a-4b6e-a170-d993e49393ef
11 November 2015
McBeth, J.
98012716-66ba-480b-9e43-ac53b51dce61
Tomenson, B.
6304e030-da3c-4d46-a93a-eec5448f1609
Chew-Graham, C.A.
08175aa6-35e2-4f56-974f-be33e26f7295
Macfarlane, G.J.
332acabb-a9cf-4434-b375-c8dd3a659e9f
Jackson, J.
83bf8fea-4098-4358-ad45-ee9e0dcc3493
Littlewood, A.
8658ebc3-02b3-4092-ac82-2eba2d17dc23
Creed, F.H.
64fa9b04-d03a-4b6e-a170-d993e49393ef
McBeth, J., Tomenson, B., Chew-Graham, C.A., Macfarlane, G.J., Jackson, J., Littlewood, A. and Creed, F.H.
(2015)
Common and unique associated factors for medically unexplained chronic widespread pain and chronic fatigue.
Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 79 (6), .
(doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2015.10.004).
Abstract
Objective: chronic widespread pain and chronic fatigue share common associated factors but these associations may be explained by the presence of concurrent depression and anxiety.
Methods: we mailed questionnaires to a randomly selected sample of people in the UK to identify participants with chronic widespread pain (ACR 1990 definition) and those with chronic fatigue. The questionnaire assessed sociodemographic factors, health status, healthcare use, childhood factors, adult attachment, and psychological stress including anxiety and depression. To identify persons with unexplained chronic widespread pain or unexplained chronic fatigue; we examined participant's medical records to exclude medical illness that might cause these symptoms.
Results: of 1443 participants (58.0% response rate) medical records of 990 were examined. 9.4% (N = 93) had unexplained chronic widespread pain and 12.6% (N = 125) had unexplained chronic fatigue. Marital status, childhood psychological abuse, recent threatening experiences and other somatic symptoms were commonly associated with both widespread pain and fatigue. No common effect was found for few years of education and current medical illnesses (more strongly associated with chronic widespread pain) or recent illness in a close relative, neuroticism, depression and anxiety scores (more strongly associated with chronic fatigue). Putative associated factors with a common effect were associated with unexplained chronic widespread pain or unexplained chronic fatigue only when there was concurrent anxiety and/or depression.
Discussion: this study suggests that the associated factors for chronic widespread pain and chronic fatigue need to be studied in conjunction with concurrent depression/anxiety. Clinicians should be aware of the importance of concurrent anxiety or depression.
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Accepted/In Press date: 16 October 2015
e-pub ahead of print date: 19 October 2015
Published date: 11 November 2015
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Local EPrints ID: 491443
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/491443
ISSN: 0022-3999
PURE UUID: 580094ee-33fa-4493-ab30-f549378ee66a
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Date deposited: 24 Jun 2024 16:46
Last modified: 25 Jun 2024 02:10
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Author:
J. McBeth
Author:
B. Tomenson
Author:
C.A. Chew-Graham
Author:
G.J. Macfarlane
Author:
J. Jackson
Author:
A. Littlewood
Author:
F.H. Creed
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