Childhood Trauma, Stress and Emotional Instability Predict Chronic Fatigue

Two recent studies investigating early factors which may trigger sooner or later in life Chronic Fatigue Syndrome have found that childhood trauma, stress and emotional instability may increase an individual's risk of developing the disorder by 3 to 8 times. The studies have been published in the Archives of General Psychiatry and highlighted the fact that Chronic Fatigue may be brought about by early social adaptation disorder and childhood adversity, as well as by stress and emotional problems, which are closely connected to genetic and family factors.

The study which emphasized the fact that childhood trauma plays a key-role in the onset of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has been carried out by a team of researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention led by scientist Christine Heim. She stated: "Our observations lend support for the hypothesis that CFS represents a disorder of adaptation that is promoted by early environmental insults, leading to failure to compensate in response to challenge."

Overall results of the CDC study showed that the risk of developing chronic fatigue is differently increased by different types of childhood trauma. Consequently, childhood sexual abuse brings about the highest risk of developing the syndrome - and eight fold higher risk. Besides sexual abuse, childhood physical neglect raises risk of the syndrome by 5.9 times, childhood emotional neglect by 4.6%, childhood physical abuse by 4.3% , while individuals who experienced childhood emotional abuse are 2.9% more likely to suffer from chronic fatigue later in life.

CDC researchers concluded: "It appears that CFS is part of a spectrum of disorders that are associated with childhood adversity. In adulthood, these disorders frequently manifest or worsen in relation to acute stress or challenge. These disorders might reflect the brain's inability to adapt or compensate in response to challenge, leading toward maladaptive responses and ultimately disease."

A second study, which focused on how stress and emotional instability influence and raise one's chances of becoming a chronic fatigue patient in adulthood, was conducted by a team of scientists at the Karolinska Institute. They found that both disorders can cause CFS, but stress is a direct factor, while emotional instability is an indirect one.

The Swedish team led by researcher Kenji Kato, PhD stressed: "Stress is a significant risk factor for chronic fatigue-like illness, the effect of which may be buffered by genetic influences. Emotional instability assessed 25 years earlier is associated with chronic fatigue through genetic mechanisms contributing to both personality style and expression of the disorder."