title: Unloading the trunk: neurasthenia, CFS and race.
abstract: The aetiologies of both chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and its predecessor neurasthenia, have been linked to technological advances in 'developed' countries. This paper discusses how this has led to a form of race thinking within discussions about fatigue which has persisted for more than a century. We review the historical development of this race thinking from neurasthenia to CFS and describe how it is manifested in both the lay- and medical literature. We also review the epidemiological literature on CFS and ethnicity to better understand the relatively low percentage of non-white patients seen in tertiary referral clinics for CFS. The aim of this paper is to act as a starting point for a debate on race and CFS.
authors.affiliation: King's College School of Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, 103 Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luthra
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wessely
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005060:Europe; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology*; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000266:history; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry / Q000639:trends; D009440:Neurasthenia / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology*; D011287:Prejudice; D044469:Racial Groups; D013672:Technology / Q000639:trends; D014481:United States