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Background: Several studies suggested that the surroundings of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients are of importance in the persistence of complaints. Contrary to what was expected, participation in support groups has not led to clinical improvement. The purpose of the present study was to describe social support in CFS patients as compared with other fatigued and non-fatigued groups. Further, changes in social support and the influence of social support on the course of CFS over a period of more than 1 year were studied in patients with and without treatment., Methods: Baseline data were assessed in 270 CFS patients, 150 disease-free breast cancer patients, 151 fatigued employees on sick-leave and 108 healthy subjects using the Social Support List and Significant Others Scale. CFS patients were followed in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), guided support groups and natural course at 8 and 14 months., Results: CFS patients and fatigued employees reported more negative interactions and insufficiency of supporting interactions than cancer patients and healthy controls. No differences in frequency of supporting interactions were found. Negative interactions decreased significantly after treatment with CBT, but did not change in support groups or natural course. In the natural course, higher fatigue severity at 8 months was predicted by more negative interactions at baseline., Conclusions: In CFS patients and fatigued employees, social support is worse than in disease-free cancer patients and healthy controls. Lack of social support was identified as a new factor in the model of perpetuating factors of fatigue severity and functional impairment in CFS., (Copyright 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel)

Although the experience of abnormal fatigue is recognised as a major disabling symptom in many chronic neurological diseases, little is known about the persistence of severe fatigue after an abrupt neurological incident like a stroke. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to test whether the experience of severe fatigue persists long after a stroke has occurred, and to assess the relation between experienced fatigue and levels of physical impairment and depression. Ninety stroke outpatients and 50 controls returned mailed questionnaires. Compared to age-matched controls, a significantly larger proportion (16 vs. 51%) of the stroke respondents experienced severe fatigue, while 20% of the patients and 16% of the controls had elevated depression symptom scores. The time which had elapsed since the stroke occurred could not explain levels of fatigue. In the control group, the number of depressive symptoms explained most of the variance in levels of fatigue, while impairment of locomotion explained most of the variance in the stroke group., (Copyright 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel)