Illness perceptions in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome and other physical health conditions: Application of the common sense model
Open accessAbstract
Background: The common sense model (CSM) proposes that illness perceptions guide coping and illness management, which subsequently affects outcomes. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is associated with severe functional impairment. CFS is distinct from other physical health conditions in that individuals can experience high levels of uncertainty, stigma and disbelief from others. This study aimed to compare illness perceptions in adolescents with CFS with other physical health conditions, using a cross-sectional, between-groups design. Methods: Adolescents (aged 11–18) with CFS ( n = 49), type 1 diabetes ( n = 52) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis ( n = 42) were recruited through National Health Service (NHS) clinics and online, and completed a series of questionnaires. Results: Adolescents with CFS differed on the perceived consequences, timeline, personal control, treatment control, identity and understanding dimensions of illness perceptions. Except for identity, these dimensions were predicted by health condition even when accounting for age, gender, fatigue, physical functioning, anxiety and depression. Conclusions: Results offer preliminary evidence for the applicability of the CSM in adolescents, with implications for supporting adolescents with physical health conditions. Results suggest that psychological interventions targeting perceived control, understanding and identity may have particular utility for adolescents with CFS.
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Negative illness perceptions are known maintaining factors for FSS.
“Known maintaining factors include negative illness perceptions (e.g. single cause attribution of symptom, no sense of control and long expectancy of symptoms) [14–16]”
From Feasibility of group-based acceptance and commitment therapy for adolescents (AHEAD) with multiple functional somatic syndromes: A pilot study (2020) · cites this paper as [15]
The Introduction (page unavailable) reports that negative illness perceptions, including expectations of a longer illness, are associated with slower recovery and greater disability; the Discussion links lower perceived control to poorer outcomes. But the paper studies adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome and does not establish negative perceptions as known causes that maintain functional somatic symptoms generally, or identify single-cause attribution as such a factor. (LLM, conf=0.86)
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References 63 · Cited by 39
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Diabetes (type 1 and type 2) in children and young people: Diagnosis and management (NICE guidelines, NG18) 2015a Retrieved from https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng18/chapter/1-Recommendations#diagnosis 36130023
- Authors
- Haines, C., Loades, M., & Davis, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Bath (GB)
- University of Bristol (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Loades, Maria
- Venue
- Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2019-02-15
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 546-563
- ISSN
- 1359-1045 (ISSN-L)
- 1461-7021
- PMC
- PMC7100035
- OpenAlex
- W2911679866
- Cited by
- 39
- References
- 63
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 2
- FWCI
- 2.99
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Bristol Research (University of Bristol) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- national institute for health research (DRF-2016-09-021)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Speech and Hearing › Adolescent and Pediatric Healthcare
- Keywords
- chronic fatigue syndrome, illness perception, common sense model of illness, adolescents, physical health conditions, perceived control, illness identity, perceived consequences, stigma, functional disability, psychological intervention
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Anxiety, Arthritis, Juvenile, Attitude to Health, Child, Depression, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1, Female, Humans, Male, Models, Theoretical, Surveys and Questionnaires, Severity of Illness Index, Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic, Social Stigma
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