Two sides of the same coin? chronic fatigue and burnout

L

lansbergen

Senior Member
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2,512
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20437294


Two sides of the same coin? On the history and phenomenology of chronic
fatigue and burnout.

Journal: Psychol Health. 2010 Apr 29:1-16. [Epub ahead of print]

Leone SS, Wessely S, Huibers MJ, Knottnerus JA, Kant I.

Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The
Netherlands.


Abstract

Background: Burnout and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are two fatigue
syndromes which have developed largely independently from each other, yet
whose similarities in symptoms can be a source of confusion. We aim to
explore the phenomenology of burnout and CFS in a historical context as this
may provide some insight into the links and relationship between these
conditions.

Method: A narrative review based on literature in the fields of history,
social science and medicine.

Results: The origins of CFS lie within medicine, whereas burnout developed
in a psychological setting. As well as symptoms, burnout and CFS also share
similar themes such as an overload process triggering illness onset, the
need for restoration of depleted energy, external causal attributions and
the characteristics of people suffering from these illnesses. However, these
themes are expressed in either psychological or medical terms according to
the historical background.

Conclusion: Despite their similarities, there have been few direct
comparisons of the two concepts. Culture, illness perceptions and
accountability are important issues in both conditions and could contribute
to their differences. Comparing burnout and CFS within one sample frame,
thus looking beyond the psychology/medicine divide, could be a useful first
step towards understanding their relationship.

PMID: 20437294 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
 
Mithriel

Mithriel

Senior Member
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Location
Scotland
The Oxford definition picks up burn out so his patients are bound to overlap, but the similarities are superficial.

You don't get ME from burnout any more than you can get MS. Both may become worse during a period of pressure, physical and mental, but the illness has to be there first.


Mithriel
 
L

leelaplay

member
Messages
1,576
Nice catch Landsbergen,

I've only read the first few lines. I find it typical that chronic fatigue is used in the title and chronic fatigue syndrome (notice no capitals) (CFS) is used in the first line - implying that the two are interchangeable - disturbing.

I'm sure the authors, or at least Wessely, know that the two are very different entities.

I also find it disturbing that chronic fatigue was used in the title.

Any good editor for the authors or the publication would have noticed and corrected the error.

Disinformation continues.
 
Hope123

Hope123

Senior Member
Messages
1,266
shrewsbury said:
Nice catch Landsbergen,

I've only read the first few lines. I find it typical that chronic fatigue is used in the title and chronic fatigue syndrome (notice no titles) (CFS) is used in the first line - implying that the two are interchangeable - disturbing.

I'm sure the authors, or at least Wessely, know that the two are very differnt entities.

I also find it disturbing that chronic fatigue was used in the title.

Any good editor for the authors or the publication would have noticed and corrected the error.

Disinformation continues.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Happens all the time unfortunately. One thing for snake oil sellers to confuse "chronic fatigue" with CFS in an effort to make money. Another for researchers, scientists, etc. to do this. I posted about Dedra Buchwald's work on another thread. Although she studied CFS with Komaroff early on in Incline Village, her more recent papers have focused on chronic fatigue. Although she distinguishes CFS from "chronic fatigue" in some studies, others have used her work to psychologize CFS. One paper talking about "CFS" only had 3-5 people with it as opposed to much larger fatigue group.
 
H

HowToEscape?

Senior Member
Messages
626
"Burnout" is a medical condition?

This sounds like something a D student would write if tasked to gin up a medical study.
 
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