Lane, T J, Manu, P, Matthews, D A · The American journal of medicine · 1991 · DOI
This study looked at 60 patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) to see how often they had depression or other psychiatric conditions. Researchers found that most CFS patients (78%) had some kind of mental health disorder, similar to a control group of fatigued people without CFS. However, CFS patients were more likely to have somatization disorder (believing physical symptoms have a physical cause) and were more likely to attribute their illness to a physical problem rather than psychological stress.
This study is important because it highlights that psychiatric comorbidities in CFS patients are often unrecognized and frequently predate symptom onset, suggesting these conditions require active clinical assessment rather than assumption. Understanding the distinction between CFS and psychiatric disorders—and recognizing their co-occurrence—can improve diagnostic accuracy and treatment planning for patients struggling with both conditions.
This study does not prove that depression or psychiatric disorders cause CFS, only that they often co-exist. The cross-sectional design cannot establish temporal relationships or whether psychiatric conditions trigger CFS or develop secondary to it. The study also does not address whether psychiatric assessment should replace biological investigation of CFS.
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
Lane, T J, Manu, P, & Matthews, D A (1991). Depression and somatization in the chronic fatigue syndrome.. The American journal of medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/0002-9343(91)90150-v
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-lane-1991-depression-somatization,
author = {Lane, T J and Manu, P and Matthews, D A},
title = {Depression and somatization in the chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {The American journal of medicine},
year = {1991},
doi = {10.1016/0002-9343(91)90150-v},
note = {PubMed: 1951377},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/lane-1991-depression-somatization},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-28. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/lane-1991-depression-somatization
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