Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.
Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.
Int Rev Psychiatry. 2020 Aug-Sep;32(5-6):491-499. doi: 10.1080/09540261.2020.1758638. Epub 2020 May 7.
Neuresthenia has had its popularity waxing and waning over the years. This review article traces the path and trajectory of the concept of this disorder, how it changed and varied over time, to the current times, when it has been almost forgotten and the concept is heading towards oblivion. Although its place in the diagnostic systems is currently in question, neurasthenia is still part of professional conversations and practice. The concept of neurasthenia emerged at the intersections of clinical, cultural and sociological dimensions of society. A deeper examination of how neurasthenia was situated at the intersections of race, class and gender exemplifies how psychiatric diagnoses may reflect and shape societal biases. The neurasthenia label has all but disappeared from contemporary nosological frameworks, however, there is a proliferation of other disorders, e.g. chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, that try to capture the experience of fatigue, pain, weakness, and distress even in the absence of clear-cut medical aetiologies. Only time will tell, if this concept has indeed been buried, or will rise as a phoenix in the years to come. Newer nervous fatigue syndromes are expected to emerge from the use of technology, screen time and the virtual world.
神经衰弱多年来一直时兴时衰。本文追溯了这一疾病概念的发展轨迹，探讨了它如何随着时间的推移而变化，直至当前，这一概念几乎被遗忘，即将被遗忘。尽管它在诊断系统中的地位目前存在疑问，但神经衰弱仍然是专业讨论和实践的一部分。神经衰弱的概念出现在社会的临床、文化和社会学层面的交汇处。更深入地研究神经衰弱如何处于种族、阶级和性别之间的交叉点，说明了精神科诊断如何反映和塑造社会偏见。尽管神经衰弱的标签几乎从当代分类框架中消失，但其他疾病，如慢性疲劳综合征、纤维肌痛等，却在不断增加，试图在没有明确医学病因的情况下捕捉疲劳、疼痛、虚弱和痛苦的体验。只有时间才能证明，这个概念是否真的已经被埋葬，或者在未来的几年里是否会像凤凰一样崛起。预计新技术的使用、屏幕时间和虚拟世界将产生新的神经疲劳综合征。
