HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS Psychiatric Bulletin Advances in Psychiatric Treatment All RCPsych Journals		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in BJP Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Farmer, A. Articles by Thapar, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Farmer, A. Articles by Thapar, A.

Prevalence of chronic disabling fatigue in children and adolescents

MRC Social, Genetic, Developmental Psychiatric Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London

Tom Fowler, PhD, Jane Scourfield, MRCPsych and Anita Thapar

Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff

Correspondence: Professor Anne Farmer, MRC Social, Genetic, Developmental Psychiatric Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Camberwell, London SE5 8AF, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 207 848 0940; fax: +44 (0) 207 848 0856; e-mail: spjuaef{at}iop.kcl.ac.uk

Declaration of interest Funded by a grant from the PPP Charitable Trust (A.F. and A.T.).

Background The epidemiology of chronic fatiguing illnesses in young people is poorly understood.

Aims To estimate the lifetime prevalence of different definitions of chronic fatigue in 8- to 17-year-olds.

Method Participants came from two population-based twin series. Parents completed self-report questionnaires that enquired whether either child had ever experienced more than a few days of disabling fatigue. Telephone interviews were undertaken for individuals who had experienced such an episode.

Results Questionnaires were returned by 1468 families (65% response rate) and telephone interviews were undertaken regarding 99 of the 129 subjects (77%) who had experienced fatigue. The lifetime prevalence estimates ranged from 2.34% (95% CI 1.75–2.94) for disabling fatigue lasting 3 months to 1.29% (95% CI 0.87–1.71) for a disorder resembling adult operationally defined chronic fatigue syndrome.

Conclusions From the age of 11 years, young people have similar rates and types of chronic fatiguing illnesses to adults.

Related articles in BJP:

Highlights of this issue

BJP 2004 184: 465-a23. [Full Text]  

Peter Tyrer
BJP 2004 184: 553-554. [Full Text]  

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S Davies and E Crawley Chronic fatigue syndrome in children aged 11 years old and younger Arch. Dis. Child., May 1, 2008; 93(5): 419 - 421. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. ter Wolbeek, L. J. P. van Doornen, A. Kavelaars, and C. J. Heijnen Predictors of Persistent and New-onset Fatigue in Adolescent Girls Pediatrics, March 1, 2008; 121(3): e449 - e457. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Crawley and G. Davey Smith Is chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME) heritable in children, and if so, why does it matter? Arch. Dis. Child., December 1, 2007; 92(12): 1058 - 1061. [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. A. Fowler, F. Rice, A. Thapar, and A. Farmer Relationship between disabling fatigue and depression in children: Genetic study The British Journal of Psychiatry, September 1, 2006; 189(3): 247 - 253. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. ter Wolbeek, L. J.P. van Doornen, A. Kavelaars, and C. J. Heijnen Severe fatigue in adolescents: a common phenomenon? Pediatrics, June 1, 2006; 117(6): e1078 - e1086. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Crawley and T. Chambers It's not all in ME mind, doc Arch. Dis. Child. Ed. Pract., December 1, 2005; 90(4): ep92 - ep97. [Full Text] [PDF]