The Chalder Fatigue Scale is an 11-item measure of fatigue severity. Each item is rated 0-3 using Likert scoring, producing a total score of 0-33. Used as the IAPT measure for CFS/ME presentations.
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Use when fatigue is a significant presenting complaint, either as a primary concern or as a maintaining factor in health anxiety. The Chalder Fatigue Scale provides a validated measure of fatigue severity that can be tracked over time.
Present as a brief questionnaire that helps capture the nature and severity of fatigue. Explain that fatigue is a common experience with multiple contributing factors and that measuring it helps ensure treatment addresses it appropriately.
For clients with chronic fatigue syndrome or long COVID, use the scale as one component of a broader assessment rather than as a standalone measure. Contextualise scores within the client's medical history and functional capacity.
Do not use the Chalder Fatigue Scale to diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome or to make medical determinations about the cause of fatigue. It is a symptom severity measure, not a diagnostic tool. Fatigue may have medical causes that require independent investigation.
In health anxiety presentations, fatigue often results from hypervigilance, sleep disruption, and the cognitive load of persistent worry. Tracking fatigue alongside health anxiety severity can demonstrate the functional relationship between the two, supporting the cognitive-behavioural formulation and motivating engagement with anxiety-focused treatment.
Scores are calculated automatically when your client completes this measure (range 0–33).
Suitable for clients working with outcome-measure, fatigue, cfs, chalder, validated, iapt-adsm. This tool can be used as a standalone worksheet or as part of a structured homework plan.
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The PHQ-15 is a 15-item somatic symptom severity measure. Each item is rated 0-2, producing a total score of 0-30. Used as the IAPT measure for medically unexplained symptoms (MUS).
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is a 9-item self-report measure of depression severity. Each item is rated 0-3 (not at all to nearly every day), producing a total score of 0-27. It is the IAPT core depression measure and is administered at every clinical contact.
The Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) is a 7-item self-report measure of anxiety severity. Each item is rated 0-3 (not at all to nearly every day), producing a total score of 0-21. It is the IAPT core anxiety measure and is administered at every clinical contact.
The Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) is a 17-item self-report measure of social anxiety. Each item is rated 0-4, producing a total score of 0-68. Used as the IAPT ADSM for social anxiety disorder.