Researchers find link between childhood trauma and chronic fatigue syndrome

by Rich Bowden - Jan 6 2009, 21:49

U.S. researchers have identified a six-fold increase in the likelihood of a person contracting chronic fatigue syndrome in later life if the subject was the victim of sexual or emotional abuse or neglect as a child.

Img: Emory University seal. Credit: Emory University

Scientists from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, described the link between the two in a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Chronic fatigue syndrome is described as a condition in which sufferers experience extreme tiredness that's not alleviated by rest.Around four million Americans suffer from the syndrome, with an estimated cost to the country of around $9 billion USD per year.Researchers say stress placed on an individual's brain from childhood trauma may affect the way the brain reacts to stress in later life.“Trauma that occurs at different times in childhood may be linked to different long-term changes,” said lead author Christine Heim, an associate professor of psychology and behavioral sciences at Emory, in a university statement. “It’s an area in which more work is needed. CFS may be part of a spectrum of disorders associated with childhood adversity, which includes depression and anxiety disorders,” she added.“About 60 percent of the people who have CFS have been badly abused as children,” said lead researcher Dr. William C. Reeves, chief of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Chronic Viral Diseases Branch. “They also have a diminished salivary cortisol response to stress.” The illness was first diagnosed in the 1980s, at which time it was dubbed the 'yuppie flu,' which raised questions as to whether the condition was 'all in the mind.' However, since that time, CFS has been taken very seriously and patients are diagnosed with the syndrome if they suffer extreme tiredness for more than six months.“CFS is quite common,” Reeves said. “It is a real illness. If you have the symptoms of CFS, see a provider. It's not all in your head -- it's not a crock.”

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Researchers find link between childhood trauma and chronic fatigue syndrome

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