Tiredness as a ticket of entry. The role of patients' beliefs and psychological symptoms in explaining frequent attendance. General Practice Fatigue Group.
OBJECTIVE
To test when patients presented with fatigue whether their beliefs about its cause was related to their frequency of attending; and to measure the association between their fatigue and psychological symptoms and their frequency of attendance during the study year.


METHODS
A cohort study.


METHODS
Primary health care.


METHODS
Patients presenting with fatigue as their main symptom.


METHODS
A fatigue questionnaire, the general health questionnaire (GHQ), an attribution scale, and measurement of consulting frequency during the 6 months before and after the patient presented.


RESULTS
Patients who believed their fatigue was due to a physical or costly physical cause consult for any reason significantly more frequently than patients who reported that psychological as well as physical problems might have caused their fatigue. Patients' psychological distress measured with the GHQ was more closely associated with frequent attendance than their level of fatigue was.


CONCLUSIONS
When patients present with fatigue it is important to inquire about their beliefs and psychological symptoms; these factors may be more important than the fatigue itself in explaining their help-seeking behaviour.
Ridsdale
L
L
UMDS Guy's Hospital, Department of General Practice, London, UK.
Mandalia
S
S
Evans
A
A
Jerrett
W
W
Osler
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004739:England; D005194:Family Practice; D005221:Fatigue / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D014852:Wales