Susan Torres-Harding

Susan Torres-Harding, PhD, is the Director of the Clinical Psychology PsyD program, Roosevelt University, Department of Psychology, Chicago, Illinois, US. Her research interests include racial microaggressions, social justice and social action, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. While working on her Masters and PhD degrees at DePaul University, she worked with Dr. Leonard Jason.

Awards

• 2004, Junior Investigator Award awarded by IACFSME in order to encourage young CFS/FM researchers in recognition of their work

Pediatric case definition

• 2006, A Pediatric Case Definition for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Full Text)

Notable studies

• 2000, Chronic fatigue syndrome: occupation, medical utilization, and subtypes in a community-based sample (Abstract)
• 2002, A factor analysis of chronic fatigue symptoms in a community-based sample(Abstract)
• 2004, Stigma and chronic fatigue syndrome: Surveying a name change (Abstract, full text downloadable)
• 2004, Family Medical History of Persons with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Abstract)
• 2004, Comparing the Fukuda et al. Criteria and the Canadian Case Definition for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Full Text)
• 2005, The Relationships among Coping Styles and Fatigue in an Ethnically Diverse Sample (Open Access/Full Text)
• 2005, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The Need for Subtypes (Abstract)
• 2006, Psychosocial and Physical Impact of Chronic Fatigue in a Community-Based Sample of Children and Adolescents (Abstract)
• 2007, The Effectiveness of Early Educational Intervention in Improving Future Physicians' Attitudes Regarding CFS/FM (Abstract)
• 2007, Non-pharmacologic interventions for CFS: a randomized trial (Abstract)
• 2007, Baseline Cortisol Levels Predict Treatment Outcomes in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Nonpharmacologic Clinical Trial
• 2007, The Prevalence of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Nigeria (Abstract)
• 2008, Evidence for T-helper 2 shift and association with illness parameters in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) (Full Text)
• 2008, The associations between basal salivary cortisol levels and illness symptomatology in chronic fatigue syndrome (Full text)
• 2008, The Energy Envelope Theory and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (Full text)
• 2008, The economic impact of ME/CFS: individual and societal costs (Full text)
• 2009, Activity Logs as a Measure of Daily Activity Among Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Full text)
• 2009, The impact of energy modulation on physical functioning and fatigue severity among patients with ME/CFS (Full text)

Online presence

• Susan Torres-Harding @ Roosevelt University Blog
• PubMed
• ResearchGate

Learn more

• Curriculum Vitae

See also

• Leonard Jason

See chronic fatigue syndrome.

chronic fatigue (CF) - Persistent and abnormal fatigue is a symptom, not an illness. It may be caused by depression, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome or many other illnesses. The term "chronic fatigue" should never be confused with the disease chronic fatigue syndrome.

See myalgic encephalomyelitis.

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.

Energy Envelope Theory A self-management tool developed and tested by Dr. Leonard Jason to reduce symptom severity and the frequency of post-exertional malaise or relapses for people with ME/CFS. According to this theory, ME/CFS patients should not expend more energy than they perceive they have, as this results in post-exertional malaise and higher disability. Instead patients are advised to stay within their energy envelope, meaning the physical limits the disease has imposed upon them. As the energy envelope theory also cautions about the dangers of under-exertion, its principles are almost identical to ‘pacing’, an activity management strategy for ME patients devised by Ellen Goudsmit in the UK.