Attree, Elizabeth A, Arroll, Megan A, Dancey, Christine P et al. · Psychology research and behavior management · 2014 · DOI
This study looked at how memory and concentration problems in ME/CFS are connected to emotional and physical factors. Researchers asked 87 people with ME/CFS about their fatigue, mood, anxiety, and support systems, then measured their memory and cognitive problems. They found that fatigue, depression, and a person's sense of personal capability were linked to memory difficulties and thinking problems.
Cognitive dysfunction is a major complaint in ME/CFS affecting quality of life, yet the mechanisms remain unclear. This study helps disentangle whether memory problems stem primarily from mood disorders, the disease itself, or a combination—information crucial for developing targeted interventions and validating patient experiences of cognitive impairment.
This study does not establish causation; it only shows associations between variables. It cannot determine whether fatigue causes cognitive problems, cognitive problems cause fatigue, or whether both are independently caused by underlying ME/CFS pathology. The cross-sectional design cannot track changes over time or identify which factors drive cognitive decline.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Attree, Elizabeth A, Arroll, Megan A, Dancey, Christine P, Griffith, Charlene, & Bansal, Amolak S (2014). Psychosocial factors involved in memory and cognitive failures in people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.. Psychology research and behavior management. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S50645
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-attree-2014-psychosocial-factors,
author = {Attree, Elizabeth A and Arroll, Megan A and Dancey, Christine P and Griffith, Charlene and Bansal, Amolak S},
title = {Psychosocial factors involved in memory and cognitive failures in people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Psychology research and behavior management},
year = {2014},
doi = {10.2147/PRBM.S50645},
note = {PubMed: 24596470},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/attree-2014-psychosocial-factors},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/attree-2014-psychosocial-factors
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