The relationship of chronic fatigue to psychiatric illness in community, primary care and tertiary care samples.
This paper reviews the psychiatric disorders associated with the symptom of fatigue in community, primary care and tertiary care samples. In each of these subsamples, studies using structured psychiatric interviews and operational diagnostic criteria are compared and contrasted. In summary, in community, primary care and tertiary care populations, there was a high association between the symptom of fatigue and affective and anxiety disorders. The prevalence rates of affective illness went up linearly in patients with fatigue as one moved from community to primary care and tertiary populations. The fact that fatigue is a common symptom in the community and is associated with significantly higher medical utilization when associated with affective and anxiety disorders may explain the increased association between this symptom and affective illness in primary and tertiary care.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle 98195.
W J
WJ
Katon
E A
EA
Walker
D002908:Chronic Disease; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D015897:Comorbidity; D005221:Fatigue / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011320:Primary Health Care