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Objective: A small-scale intervention study into narrative self-investigation in adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)., Method: The self-confrontation method (SCM) is an instrument to assess and change personal life stories. Forty-two adolescents diagnosed with CFS were included and randomly assigned to either 6 or 12 sessions with the SCM. Twenty-five healthy adolescents were assigned to 6 sessions. Outcome was measured directly after the self-investigation procedure at 4 months. Follow-up measurements were made 10 months later. The Checklist Individual Strength and the Child Health Questionnaire were used to measure changes in fatigue, physical and psychosocial functioning., Results: Self-investigation resulted in significant changes in participants' narratives. Moreover, after self-investigation there was a significant improvement in fatigue, physical and psychosocial functioning for the adolescents with CFS. The patients who completed 12 sessions improved most. At follow-up, the positive effects were maintained., Conclusion: Self-investigation enables a move beyond the symptoms of CFS in an individualized, patient centered way. Narrative transformation seems to contribute to improved physical and psychosocial outcome in adolescent CFS., Practice Implications: The SCM allows adolescents to discover (for themselves) factors that might cause or perpetuate their fatigue. The results suggest that self-investigation is a useful instrument in the management of adolescent CFS., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study examines the way coping styles and locus of control contribute to the prediction of psychosocial adjustment in adolescents with a chronic illness. Psychosocial adjustment of 84 adolescents aged 13-16 years with a chronic illness was assessed with measures of social adjustment, global self-esteem and behavior problems. Linear regressions were performed with demographic factors (age and gender) and stress-processing factors (coping style and locus of control) as predictor variables. Results indicated that coping styles were related to most aspects of social adjustment. The coping styles 'seeking social support' and 'confrontation' were important predictors for positive social adjustment; the coping style 'depression' was a predictor for poor adjustment, viz, low social self-esteem and high social anxiety. Avoidance and locus of control were not strongly associated with psychosocial adjustment. Clinical implications of these findings were discussed in terms of preventive interventions for adolescents with a chronic illness.

In a survey-study of all living Dutch patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) born before 1971 data have been gathered on sex, age, age at diagnosis; height and weight; treatment and social development. The group consists of 102 schoolchildren (8-11 years), 179 adolescents (12-21 years) and 28 young adults (22-40 years). Males are in the majority, especially in the 12 to 17 age group (61%). In 51% of all patients CF was diagnosed before the age of 2, and in 75% before the age of 5. Male CF patients are on average 6 cm (0.84 SD) shorter than normal and female patients 3 cm (0.48 SD). As far as weight for height is concerned, 54% of the CF patients fall below the 10th percentile. Weight for height is slightly lower in females than in males. CF patients usually leave primary school at an older age than their healthy peers. In comparison to healthy adolescents of the same age, adolescents with CF attend full-time day-school for a longer time, more of them receive general education and fewer take vocational training. Adolescents and young adults with CF do not stay longer than normal in the protective environment of their parental home.