Resumen de Perceived Experience of Fatigue in Clinical and General Population: Descriptors and Associated Reactivities
Sandra Fuentes Márquez, Cristina Senín Calderón, Juan Francisco Rodríguez Testal, Miguel Ángel Carrasco Ortiz
The aim of this study is the analysis of different descriptors and reactions related to the experience of fatigue. Two groups were compared: a clinical sample (n = 92, 31 males, mean age = 38.87) and a non-clinical (n = 225, 135 males, mean age = 32.45) sample. The total sample was composed of 317 participants (52% males), ranging in age from 18 to 76 years. Findings show the experience of fatigue was mainly related to somatic terms (76% of the total sample). Specific results were found only for the clinical group: (a) significant relationships between fatigue and anxiety, ?2(1) = 34.71, p < .01; tension, ?2(1) = 16.80, p < .01; and sadness, ?2(1) = 24.59, p < .01; (b) higher intensity of fatigue (F = 84.15, p = .001), and predominance of the cognitive components of fatigue. Results showed that fatigue in subjects with a clinical disorder (versus those without) was associated both, to negative emotional states, and to a higher intensity of fatigue, especially in its cognitive elements. Important clinical implications for its assessment and intervention are discussed.
