Unloading the trunk: neurasthenia, CFS and race

A. Luthra and S. Wessely

Social Science & Medicine, 2004, vol. 58, issue 11, 2363-2369

Abstract: The aetiologies of both chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and its predecessor neurasthenia, have been linked to technological advances in 'developed' countries. This paper discusses how this has led to a form of race thinking within discussions about fatigue which has persisted for more than a century. We review the historical development of this race thinking from neurasthenia to CFS and describe how it is manifested in both the lay- and medical literature. We also review the epidemiological literature on CFS and ethnicity to better understand the relatively low percentage of non-white patients seen in tertiary referral clinics for CFS. The aim of this paper is to act as a starting point for a debate on race and CFS .

Keywords: Neurasthenia; Chronic; fatigue; Ethnicity; Non-white; Epidemiology; 'Developed'; countries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2004
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