Smets, E M, Garssen, B, Bonke, B et al. · Journal of psychosomatic research · 1995 · DOI
Researchers created and tested a questionnaire called the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) to measure different types of fatigue people experience. The 20-question survey asks about general tiredness, physical exhaustion, mental tiredness, motivation, and activity levels. When they tested it with various groups—including people with chronic fatigue syndrome—the questionnaire worked well and reliably measured fatigue in all groups.
The MFI is one of the few validated instruments specifically tested in ME/CFS populations and addresses the multidimensional nature of fatigue beyond simple exhaustion. Having a reliable, psychometrically sound measurement tool is crucial for ME/CFS research, enabling consistent assessment of treatment effects and disease burden across studies. This standardized approach improves the ability to compare results between research groups and clinics.
This study validates the MFI's structural reliability and internal consistency but does not establish whether the instrument is sensitive to changes over time (responsiveness) or whether it can distinguish ME/CFS from other fatiguing conditions. The study does not prove the MFI captures disease-specific features of ME/CFS such as post-exertional malaise, and correlation with visual analogue scales does not confirm the questionnaire measures the underlying biological mechanisms of fatigue.
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 →
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