British Journal of Hospital Medicine (BJHM) is published by IMR Press from Volume 87 Issue 1 (2026). Previous articles were published by another publisher under the hybrid model (CC-BY-NC license or on a subscription basis), and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement.
Chronic fatigue syndrome in young people: the spectrum and the myths
Esther Crawley 1
Affiliation
Article Info
1 CFS/ME ServiceRoyal United HospitalBath BA1 3NG
Abstract
Large telephone surveys in both the UK and USA suggest that chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalopathy (CFS/ME) in children is both surprisingly common (0.19–2%), and indiscriminate in who it affects (Jordan et al, 2000; Chalder et al, 2003; Jones et al, 2004). There is no gender preference, no social class gradient, and all ethnic groups are affected. The CFS/ME described in studies where patients are recruited from specialist care is much rarer and predominantly affects white females of higher socioeconomic status (Patel et al, 2003).