Edinburgh Napier University

  This PhD project aims to explore the role of discourse in the formation and manifestation of symptoms related to the condition Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). It will focus on the influence of social and cultural interactions on the development of symptoms and experiences, as well as the influence of linguistic expressions of diagnoses and symptoms between health professionals and patients on the condition. These perspectives will be explored using Lacanian Discourse Analysis (LDA) – an approach derived from the psychoanalytic theory developed by Jacques Lacan. The purpose of this study is to deepen the understanding of CFS/ME/fatigue and contribute new insight into the area that will help address aspects of the uncertainty around the approach to the condition, thereby facilitating a fruitful dialogue between research, practice and the public.