ABSTRACT
Greater autonomic arousal in response to distressing stimuli is consistent with the findings of greater neuroticism, characterized by a tendency to experience negative emotions, in people who develop chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). In the study, the CFS group reported more symptoms of depression and anxiety over the past week than the healthy controls. Similarly, on the day of the experiment, the CFS group reported greater sadness and anxiety than the healthy participants. The group difference in these self-reported negative emotions was no longer significant if the comparison controlled for anxiety and depression, which is not surprising as neuroticism is a common factor underlying all three of these problems. Although participants with CFS reported more negative emotions both before and after a film clip, there was no evidence of a larger increase in distress elicited by the film compared to the healthy controls group.
