sodium-ethylxanthate and Fatigue

A brief historical introduction traces the evolution of the concept of hypochondriasis. It is suggested that the term should now be used only as a descriptive adjective when there is a morbid preoccupation with health or body. Social and cultural factors are outlined, as well as problems of measurement. The psychopathology, as formulated by Freud and others, is also described. Clinical aspects are discussed under the headings of general symptoms, pain, smell, bodily appearance, sexual, gastro-intestinal, cardio-respiratory, eyes, and ears, nose and throat. Psychiatric syndromes mentioned are: hypochondria as a possible primary state, personality disorders, phobic-anxiety state, neurashthenia, obsessional neurosis, hysteria, depression, paranoid psychosis and organic. In general, hypochondriacal symptoms seem to make the prognosis rather worse. Treatment is to be aimed at the primary condition, which is most commonly depression, anxiety state or conversion reaction.

Topics: Anxiety; Body Image; Delusions; Depression; Fatigue; Humans; Hypochondriasis; Hysteria; MMPI; Neurasthenia; Neurocognitive Disorders; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Pain; Paranoid Disorders; Personality Disorders; Phobic Disorders; Prognosis; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Schizophrenia; Sex

The aim of this study has been to obtain more insight into the health condition of fatigued patients, their expectations when visiting the general practitioner (GP), the way they communicate, and possible gender differences. Data consisted of 579 patient questionnaires and 440 video-observations of these patients and 31 GPs. Results showed that fatigue is a common health problem but seldom on the agenda in general practice. More women indicated symptoms of fatigue than men did. Fatigued patients' health was worse than that of non-fatigued patients, and they expected more biomedical and especially psychosocial communication. Furthermore, male fatigued patients expected more biomedical communication than fatigued female patients did. While the GPs accommodated their verbal behavior to fatigued patients by giving more psychosocial information and more counseling, they were not more affective towards the fatigued than towards the non-fatigued patients. Female GPs were more affective than their male colleagues, and they used gender-specific communication strategies to explore the patient's agenda. It seems necessary to use a gender-sensitive approach in communication research.

Topics: Adult; Affect; Attitude of Health Personnel; Attitude to Health; Case-Control Studies; Communication; Family Practice; Fatigue; Female; Health Status; Humans; Male; Men; Middle Aged; Netherlands; Physician-Patient Relations; Physicians, Family; Physicians, Women; Referral and Consultation; Sex; Surveys and Questionnaires; Verbal Behavior; Women

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aging; Child; Child, Preschool; Fatigue; Female; Humans; Intelligence; Male; Memory; Middle Aged; Motivation; Sex

Topics: Adult; Aging; Attitude; Body Temperature; Electric Stimulation; Fatigue; Female; Humans; Male; Neurologic Examination; Pain; Perception; Sex; Skin

Topics: Fatigue; Female; Humans; Motor Skills; Reaction Time; Sex

Topics: Aging; Blood Circulation; Blood Pressure; Fatigue; Humans; Hypotension; Hypotension, Orthostatic; Isometric Contraction; Motivation; Muscle Contraction; Neurotic Disorders; Plethysmography; Sex; Statistics as Topic

Topics: Asian People; Black People; Fasciculation; Fatigue; Humans; Movement Disorders; Muscles; Physical Exertion; Sex; Statistics as Topic; Stress, Physiological; White People

Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Communication; Fatigue; Habits; Hearing; Hearing Tests; Humans; Learning; Sex