title: Fatigue in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: the psychosocial aspects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Studies to prove a relationship between fatigue and immunological, inflammatory, or other disease characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have shown no consistent findings. To further elucidate the basis for fatigue in SLE, we examined the affective states, personality traits, and mental health status in an unselected group of patients with SLE.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-seven Caucasian patients with SLE were examined. Fatigue was measured by the Fatigue Severity Scale. Personality traits and psychological function were evaluated by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2), the affective states by Beck Depression Inventory, and mental health status by the General Health Questionnaire version 30 (GHQ-30).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fatigue was closely associated with high scores on subscales Depression (D-2) and Hysteria (Hy-3) on MMPI-2 (R2 = 0.31; p = 0.0002), as well as with high scores on BDI (R2 = 0.22; p = 0.0006) and GHQ (R2 = 0.33; p < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fatigue does not seem to be caused by any easily recognizable single or multiple factor(s) of an inflammatory or immunological state. Our results point to fatigue being a multifaceted phenomenon where several psychosocial factors are strongly related, and indicate that fatigue is part of a complex response to chronic disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø, Oslo, Norway. romdal@online.no
authors.forename: Roald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Omdal
authors.forename: Knut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Waterloo
authors.forename: Wenche
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Koldingsnes
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Husby
authors.forename: Svein Ivar
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Mellgren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D008950:MMPI; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010551:Personality