当前位置： SCI文献检索 > PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE期刊下所有文献 > Physical symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome are exacerbated by the stress of Hurricane Andrew.

Physical symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome are exacerbated by the stress of Hurricane Andrew.

Abstract：

:This study examined the effects of Hurricane Andrew on physical symptoms and functional impairments in a sample of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients residing in South Florida. In the months after Hurricane Andrew (September 15-December 31, 1992), 49 CFS patients were assessed for psychosocial and physical functioning with questionnaires, interviews, and physical examinations. This sample was made up of 25 CFS patients living in Dade county, a high impact area, and 24 patients in Broward and Palm Beach counties, areas less affected by the hurricane. Based on our model for stress-related effects on CFS, we tested the hypothesis that the patients who had the greatest exposure to this natural disaster would show the greatest exacerbation in CFS symptoms and related impairments in activities of daily living (illness burden). In support of this hypothesis, we found that the Dade county patients showed significant increases in physician-rated clinical relapses and exacerbations in frequency of several categories of self-reported CFS physical symptoms as compared to the Broward/Palm Beach county patients. Illness burden, as measured on the Sickness Impact Profile, also showed a significant increase in the Dade county patients. Although extent of disruption due to the storm was a significant factor in predicting relapse, the patient's posthurricane distress response was the single strongest predictor of the likelihood and severity of relapse and functional impairment. Additionally, optimism and social support were significantly associated with lower illness burden after the hurricane, above and beyond storm-related disruption and distress responses. These findings provide information on the impact of environmental stressors and psychosocial factors in the exacerbation of CFS symptoms.

journal_name

Psychosom Med

journal_title

Psychosomatic medicine

authors

Lutgendorf SK,Antoni MH,Ironson G,Fletcher MA,Penedo F,Baum A,Schneiderman N,Klimas N

doi

10.1097/00006842-199507000-00002

subject

Has Abstract

pub_date

1995-07-01 00:00:00

pages

310-23

issue

eissn

0033-3174

issn

1534-7796

journal_volume

pub_type

杂志文章

在线工具

Physical symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome are exacerbated by the stress of Hurricane Andrew.