Rimes, Katharine A, Goodman, Robert, Hotopf, Matthew et al. · Pediatrics · 2007 · DOI
This study followed 842 British teenagers aged 11-15 for 4-6 months to see how common tiredness and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) were and what factors might make them more likely. About 30% of teens developed new fatigue during the study, while less than 1% developed chronic fatigue or CFS. Importantly, most teens who had CFS at the start of the study felt better by the follow-up visit, suggesting that CFS in adolescents often improves over time. Teens with anxiety, depression, or behavior problems were more likely to develop fatigue.
Understanding incidence, natural history, and early risk factors for CFS in adolescents is crucial for early identification and intervention. This study provides rare longitudinal evidence that CFS in youth often remits spontaneously, offering prognostic hope for affected adolescents and their families. The identified association between emotional/behavioral problems and fatigue onset may guide prevention and treatment strategies.
This study does not prove that anxiety or depression *causes* chronic fatigue—only that they are statistically associated and may increase risk. The study uses operational definitions of CFS that may not capture the full complexity of the illness as experienced by patients. The 4-6 month follow-up is relatively short and does not address longer-term prognosis or the mechanisms underlying the association with psychiatric symptoms.
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
Rimes, Katharine A, Goodman, Robert, Hotopf, Matthew, Wessely, Simon, Meltzer, Howard, & Chalder, Trudie (2007). Incidence, prognosis, and risk factors for fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome in adolescents: a prospective community study.. Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2006-2231
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-rimes-2007-incidence-prognosis,
author = {Rimes, Katharine A and Goodman, Robert and Hotopf, Matthew and Wessely, Simon and Meltzer, Howard and Chalder, Trudie},
title = {Incidence, prognosis, and risk factors for fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome in adolescents: a prospective community study.},
journal = {Pediatrics},
year = {2007},
doi = {10.1542/peds.2006-2231},
note = {PubMed: 17332180},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/rimes-2007-incidence-prognosis},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-25. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/rimes-2007-incidence-prognosis
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