Disability Benefits and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Populationbased Study of the Nature and range of Work-Related Impairment - Abstract
Aim: To compare disease impact on functioning in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome receiving disability benefits and patients recovered and returned to work.
Methods: Eighteen patients with CFS living in a Western Norway community with 11,500 inhabitants were included. Self-report questionnaires included the physical functioning scale of SF-36 (SF-36 PF); perception of effort during exercise, the Rate of Perceived Exertion scale (RPE); cognitive problems, the Chalder Fatigue Scale, (CFQ, questions 8-11). Objective tests were the Hand Grip Strength test (HGS); sub-maxima exercise testing, the 6-min Walk Test (6MWT); cognitive performance was the Paced Auditory Serial attention Test (PASAT).
Results: Twelve patients received disability benefits. Patients who received disability benefits scored worse than the recovered patients did on these measures: SF-36 PF (13 vs 29), RPE (15.9 vs 9.7), and (CFQ) (9.5 vs 4.8). Patients receiving disability benefits had lower maximum voluntary contraction values on HGS test (107 vs 128), decreased 6MWT (448 m vs 560 m).
Conclusion: Awarded disability benefits to CFS patients were associated with high levels of functional impairment, severe fatigue, poor physical functioning, memory and concentration problems, and increased perception of effort compared to recovered patients. Self-reported functional status correlated well with the objective tests.