A Content Analysis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis in the News from 1987 to 2013

Overview

Journal Chronic Illn

Publisher Sage Publications

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2017 Apr 14

PMID 28403636

Citations 3

Authors

Zachary A Siegel

Abigail Brown

Andrew Devendorf

Johanna Collier

Leonard A Jason

Affiliations

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Abstract

Objectives The aim of this study was to analyze the content of American newspaper articles ( n=214) from 1987 to 2013, in order to understand how the public digests information related to Chronic Fatigue syndrome, a controversial and misunderstood illness. Methods A novel codebook derived from the scientific literature was applied to 214 newspaper articles collected from Lexis Nexis Academic®. These articles were coded quantitatively and frequency tables were created to delineate the variables as they appeared in the articles. Results The etiology was portrayed as organic in 64.5% ( n=138) of the articles, and there was no mention of case definitions or diagnostic criteria in 56.1% ( n=120) of the articles. The most common comorbidity was depression, appearing in 22.9% ( n=49) of the articles. In 55.6% ( n=119) of the articles, there was no mention of prevalence rates. In 50.9% ( n=109) of the articles, there was no mention of any form of treatment for the illness. A total of 19.4% ( n=42) of the headlines mislabeled the name of the illness. Discussion Based on descriptive statistics of all 214 coded articles, media communicated mixed messages for salient variables such as the name of the illness, its etiology and treatment.

Citing Articles

Why the Psychosomatic View on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Is Inconsistent with Current Evidence and Harmful to Patients.

Thoma M, Froehlich L, Hattesohl D, Quante S, Jason L, Scheibenbogen C Medicina (Kaunas). 2024; 60(1).

PMID: 38256344 PMC: 10819994. DOI: 10.3390/medicina60010083.

Review of case definitions for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

Lim E, Son C J Transl Med. 2020; 18(1):289.

PMID: 32727489 PMC: 7391812. DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02455-0.

Suicidal ideation in non-depressed individuals: The effects of a chronic, misunderstood illness.

Devendorf A, McManimen S, Jason L J Health Psychol. 2018; 25(13-14):2106-2117.

PMID: 29992837 PMC: 9185123. DOI: 10.1177/1359105318785450.

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