ReviewJournal of pain and symptom management2020
A Qualitative Metasynthesis of the Experience of Fatigue Across Five Chronic Conditions.
Review in Journal of pain and symptom management, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
34 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 79 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for fatigue in adults with long-term conditions: a synopsis of the EIFFEL mixed-methods evidence synthesis.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2026Pooled it
- Chronic pain and fatigue in multiple osteochondroma and Ollier disease, a systematic review.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2026Pooled it
- Chinese herbal medicine for post-viral fatigue: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.PloS one · 2024Pooled it
- Article
- Lower-Limb Biomechanical Adaptations to Exercise-Induced Fatigue During Running: A Systematic Review of Injury-Relevant Mechanical Changes.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Protocol for a multicenter observational study on fatigue across physical-mental conditions within the German center for mental health.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for fatigue in long term conditions: systematic review and network meta-analysis.BMJ medicine · 2026Article
- Feasibility, acceptability, and exploratory outcomes of a virtual cognitive behavioural therapy-based group intervention for persistent fatigue in endometriosis: The Managing Fatigue in Endometriosis (MEND) programme.British journal of health psychology · 2025Article
- Associations of depressive symptoms and social dysfunction with happiness in adults with cardiovascular disease: a cross-sectional study.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- The impact of mind-body internet and mobile-based interventions on fatigue in adults living with chronic physical conditions: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.PLOS digital health · 2025Article
- Distressing symptoms and health-related quality of life in patients with chronic kidney disease.World journal of nephrology · 2025Article
- Post infectious fatigue and circadian rhythm disruption in long-COVID and other infections: a need for further research.EClinicalMedicine · 2025Review
- Fatigue patterns surrounding biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug injection in patients with an inflammatory rheumatic disease: an ecological momentary assessment study.Rheumatology international · 2025Article
- Associations Between Fatigue and Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome and the Mediating Role of Inflammation.Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy · 2025Article
- Preliminary investigation of anti-fatigue effects and potential mechanisms of meiju oral liquid in mouse and zebrafish models.PloS one · 2025Article
- Factors Influencing Malnutrition Among Older Adult Residents in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia: Sex Differential Study.JMIR aging · 2024Article
- Symptom burden and its associations with clinical characteristics in patients with COPD: a clustering approach.ERJ open research · 2024Article
- Article
- Defining fatigue from the experiences of patients living with chronic fatigue.Frontiers in medicine · 2024Article
- Women's environmental quality of life is key to their overall quality of life and health: Global evidence from the WHOQOL-100.PloS one · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
contextFatigue is a symptom reported by patients with a variety of chronic conditions. However, it is unclear whether fatigue is similar across conditions. Better understanding its nature could provide important clues regarding the mechanisms underlying fatigue and aid in developing more effective therapeutic interventions to decrease fatigue and improve quality of life.
objectivesTo better understand the nature of fatigue, we performed a qualitative metasynthesis exploring patients' experiences of fatigue across five chronic noninfectious conditions: heart failure, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
methodsWe identified 34 qualitative studies written in the last 10 years describing fatigue in patients with one of the aforementioned conditions using three databases (Embase, PubMed, and CINAHL). Studies with patient quotes describing fatigue were synthesized, integrated, and interpreted.
resultsAcross conditions, patients consistently described fatigue as persistent overwhelming tiredness, severe lack of energy, and physical weakness that worsened over time. Four common themes emerged: running out of batteries, a bad life, associated symptoms (e.g., sleep disturbance, impaired cognition, and depression), and feeling misunderstood by others, with a fear of not being believed or being perceived negatively.
conclusionIn adults with heart failure, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, we found that fatigue was characterized by severe energy depletion, which had negative impacts on patients' lives and caused associated symptoms that exacerbated fatigue. Yet, fatigue is commonly misunderstood and inadequately acknowledged.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.