Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Problem of Legitimation

Abstract

Chronic fatigue syndrome (ME-CFS) is a condition which has not been readily accepted by the medical or broader community as 'real', despite a growing reported incidence. In order to understand its current status, two models of illness are drawn upon. These have been used to explain social and political processes important to Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), more recently known as Occupational Overuse Syndrome (OOS), and Alzheimer's disease gaining acceptance medically and in the wider community. They are used to provide a framework for understanding the socio-political context of ME-CFS and to provide an understanding of the transitions ME-CFS may need to go through before being a widely acknowledged condition. This framework is developed further to explore the illness in relation to broader social and political issues.