Andrew Devendorf

Andrew Devendorf, BA, is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology and a Graduate Research Assistant at University of South Florida. Formerly, he worked as a Research Project Assistant at DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois, US, assisting Dr. Leonard Jason. His research interests include recovery, stigma, and suicide among chronic conditions.

He has conducted several studies that investigate how to define and measure recovery from ME/CFS.

Notable studies

• 2016, The Role of Infectious and Stress-related Onsets in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptomatology and Functioning.
• 2016, Mortality in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome - (Full Text)
• 2017, Defining and measuring recovery from myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome: the physician perspective - (Abstract)
• 2017, A content analysis of chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis in the news from 1987 to 2013 - (Abstract)
• 2017, Approaching recovery from myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome: Challenges to consider in research and practice - (Abstract)
• 2018, Patients’ hopes for recovery from myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome: Toward a “recovery in” framework - (Abstract)
• 2018, Suicidal ideation in non-depressed individuals: The effects of a chronic, misunderstood illness - (Abstract)

stress Stress can by either physical or psychological, or both. Stress is either 1) a state of emotional or psychological strain or 2) the physical stress (pressure or tension) that a physical object such the human body is placed under, e.g., a stress test is a medical test that monitors the cardiovascular system during strenuous exercise.

myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) - A disease often marked by neurological symptoms, but fatigue is sometimes a symptom as well. Some diagnostic criteria distinguish it from chronic fatigue syndrome, while other diagnostic criteria consider it to be a synonym for chronic fatigue syndrome. A defining characteristic of ME is post-exertional malaise (PEM), or post-exertional neuroimmune exhaustion (PENE), which is a notable exacerbation of symptoms brought on by small exertions. PEM can last for days or weeks. Symptoms can include cognitive impairments, muscle pain (myalgia), trouble remaining upright (orthostatic intolerance), sleep abnormalities, and gastro-intestinal impairments, among others. An estimated 25% of those suffering from ME are housebound or bedbound. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies ME as a neurological disease.

chronic illness any long-term illness, regardless of the severity. Chronic illnesses are typically incurable, requiring long-term management.