ECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH25
Background: Psychological well-being, cognitive function, dexterity, bimanual coordination, and the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) have not previously been directly compared between individuals with long COVID and those with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). This study therefore compared these outcomes in individuals with long COVID (mean illness duration ≈16 months) and ME/CFS (mean illness duration ≈16 years), relative to age-matched healthy controls. Methods: Psychological well-being was assessed using a battery of validated questionnaires, including the Health Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), post-exertional malaise (PEM), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D), MRC Dyspnoea Scale, Self-Efficacy for Living with a Chronic Condition (SELTC), Edinburgh Neurological Symptoms Questionnaire (ENS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Cognitive function was evaluated using the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Stroop test, and Trail Making Tests A and B. These assessments were administered remotely via a purpose-built mobile application. Dexterity and bimanual coordination were measured in person using the Purdue Pegboard Test. PTSD and CPTSD were assessed in person using the International Trauma Questionnaire, a self-report measure aligned with International Classification of Diseases diagnostic criteria. Results: Individuals with long COVID and ME/CFS showed broadly comparable performance across measures of psychological well-being and cognitive function. Both patient groups reported significantly worse outcomes than healthy controls for pain, fatigue, post-exertional malaise, sleep quality, mobility, usual activities, self-care, breathlessness, neurological symptoms, self-efficacy, anxiety, and depression. No significant group differences were observed for cognitive function measures. Performance on the Purdue Pegboard Test was similar between the two patient groups, with both demonstrating poorer dexterity and bimanual coordination relative to controls. The prevalence of PTSD and CPTSD was higher in both patient groups compared with controls, with individuals with long COVID exhibiting higher prevalence rates than those with ME/CFS. Conclusion: These findings indicate that individuals with long COVID and ME/CFS experience comparable impairments in psychological well-being, dexterity, and bimanual coordination relative to healthy controls, despite differences in illness duration. However, PTSD and CPTSD were more prevalent in individuals with long COVID than in those with ME/CFS.
Read CV Nilihan Sanal-HayesECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH25
Background: Is 100 miles the new marathon? Ultra-endurance (UE) races are rapidly increasing in popularity, with most participants being non-professional athletes. While the exceptional physical and psychological capacities required for UE participation have been widely examined, the social dimension of this intensive lifestyle – particularly its impact on partners and spouses – remain largely overlooked. This study advances understanding of non-professional UE sport by centring the experiences of athletes´ partners, arguably the group most affected yet least researched. Methodology: Thirteen in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with partners of UE athletes. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and Reflexive Thematic Analysis. The theoretic framework integrated Self-Determination Theory (Deci Ryan, 2000), the Dualistic Model of Passion (Vallerand et al., 1997), the Serious Leisure Perspective (Stebbins, 1997) and the Facilitators & Constraints Framework (Raymore, 2002). Results: Three interrelated themes characterized partners´ experiences of UE sports: bonding, lifestyle, and ambivalence. Bonding captures connection through shared participation and supportive engagement that fulfils partners´ need for relatedness. Lifestyle reflects the über-presence of performance routines, which are valued for their perceived health benefits. Ambivalence exposes relational tensions in which autonomy, balance, and equality are challenged by the dominance of UE commitments. Relational harmony is sustained when partners negotiate constraints collaboratively, however, obsessive forms of UE passion disrupt this process and frequently lead to conflict. The emergent “share, support, or separate” dilemma faced by partners offers a critical interpretation of the paradox of serious leisure and challenges traditionally male-coded, individualistic narratives of UE sports by foregrounding a more relational understanding. Moreover, these social-relational insights extend and enrich the Framework for Understanding the Phenomenon of UE sports developed in our previous research.
Read CV Tatjana BillECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH25