The role of cognitive, emotional and behavioural factors in chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis : content, process and therapeutic outcome

• Main Author: Gillings, Kirsty Louise
• Published: University of Birmingham 2007
• Subjects: 155
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.486634

This thesis is presented in two volumes. In Volume I, the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural therapy and graded exercise therapy in the management of chronic fatigue are reviewed. The impact of these treatments compared to no treatment and other active therapy is assessed using meta-analytic techniques. The findings indicate that both cognitive-behavioural therapy and graded exercise therapy are effective in reducing fatigue and increasing physical functioning in the short term. Neither approach significantly improved mood disturbance. The findings are discussed with reference to treatment models for chronic fatigue and future research directions are identified. The second paper in Volume I presents an empirical study examining information processing in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). Individuals with CFS/ME, rheumatoid arthritis and healthy controls completed measures of core schema and current mood, in addition to an emotional Stroop task and facial affect recognition task. Stronger core schema were reported by the CFS/ME group. The illness groups both displayed systematic biases in their processing of emotional information. The findings are interpreted with reference to cognitive models of CFS/ME. Volume II contains five individual clinical practice reports completed during Forensic, Child, Older Adult and Learning Disability placements respectively.