Journal of Psychosomatic Research, Vol. 47, No. 6, pp. 597–607, 1999 Copyright  1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. 0022-3999/99 $–see front matter S0022-3999(99)00063-X EXAMINATION OF CLONINGER’S BASIC DIMENSIONS OF PERSONALITY IN FATIGUING ILLNESS: CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME AND MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS CHRISTOPHER CHRISTODOULOU,*† JOHN DELUCA,*† SUSAN K. JOHNSON,‡ GUDRUN LANGE,*† ELIZABETH A. GAUDINO*† and BENJAMIN H. NATELSON* (Received 8 August 1998; accepted 23 June 1999) Abstract—Relatively few studies have examined the personality characteristics of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The personality profiles of 38 CFS subjects were compared with 40 healthy con- trols and 40 subjects with multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic illness that shares many symptoms with CFS (e.g., fatigue), but has a known neurological substrate. Subjects were examined within Cloninger’s bioso- cial theory of personality, which delineates basic dimensions of temperament. Both illness groups dis- played similarly elevated levels of Harm Avoidance, and lower levels of Reward Dependence as com- pared with healthy controls. The MS group showed a lower level of Persistence than controls and CFS subjects. Implications for the relationship between chronic illness and personality are discussed.  1999 Elsevier Science Inc. Keywords: Chronic fatigue syndrome; Fatigue; Multiple sclerosis; Personality; Tridimensional personality questionnaire. INTRODUCTION Feelings of fatigue are common in modern society. Such feelings have been linked to a variety of factors, including personality characteristics, psychiatric disturbance, and medical illness. Among healthy individuals, for example, studies have found that persons high in the traits of neuroticism and perfectionism tend to report ele- vated levels of fatigue [1]. Likewise, fatigue (or loss of energy) is a criterion used in the diagnosis of mood disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual [2] of the American Psychiatric Association. Fatigue frequently accompanies a variety of medical disorders (e.g., flu, coronary heart disease, and multiple sclerosis [MS]) and it also forms the core symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), individuals with CFS suffer from debilitat- * University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jer- sey, USA. † Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education Corporation, West Orange, New Jersey, USA. ‡ University of North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. Address correspondence to: Dr. Christopher Christodoulou, Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Re- search Laboratory, Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education Corporation, 1199 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ 07052. Phone: (973)-731-3600 (ext. 2712); Fax: 973-243-6984; E-mail: cchristo@kmrrec.org 597