[Chronic fatigue syndrome].

The symptoms of fatigue and exhaustion, which are central to chronic fatigue syndrome and neurasthenia, can lay claim to being"psychopathological entities" in their own right. Although ubiquitous, they by no means reflect a homogeneous clinical picture. Chronic fatigue may occur after physical illness, such as viral infections, or be associated with a range of different psychiatric disorders. There is wide overlap with affective, anxiety, somatoform, and personality disorders, and this should be borne in mind when it comes to classifying these symptoms. To investigate the etiopathogenesis, multifactorial models are required. For treatment, adapted cognitive-behavioral therapy, possibly accompanied by an antidepressant, is effective.