Exploring the beliefs and underlying functional deficits associated with chronic fatigue syndrome and the identification of predictors of recovery and successful illness management

  

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is described as an illness that produces a marked reduction in

activity and an increase in mental fatigue. The condition, as the name suggests, is chronic

in nature and is of sufficient severity to cause substantial functional impairment to the

sufferer and exerts a significant financial strain on healthcare and welfare resources. It

was the culmination of these factors which prompted the call for structured and wide-ranging

programmes of research in the United Kingdom. The research project described

in the following chapters was conducted in response to this call. The preliminary

narrative begins with a brief introduction to the project's scope, a description of the

clinical setting for the project and the participants taking part and will end with an

account of my involvement in the research.