Brain fag syndrome (BFS) describes a
set of symptoms; somatic, sleep-related and cognitive complaints, difficulty in concentrating and retaining information, head and or neck pains, and eye pain.
Brain fag is very common in adolescents and young adults. It is believed to be the most common in these age ranges due to the immense amount of pressure occurring in life during these years. This term, now outdated, was first used in 19th-century Britain before becoming a colonial description of
Nigerian
Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...
high school and university students in the 1960s.
Its consideration as a
culture-bound syndrome
In medicine and medical anthropology, a culture-bound syndrome, culture-specific syndrome, or folk illness is a combination of psychiatric and somatic symptoms that are considered to be a recognizable disease only within a specific society or cu ...
caused by excessive pressure to be successful among the young is disputed by Ayonrinde (2020)
Etymology
The term 'brain fag' presumably stems from the verb meaning of the word, ''"To cause (a person, animal, or part of the body) to become tired; to fatigue, wear out"'' chiefly found in
British English
British English (BrE, en-GB, or BE) is, according to Lexico, Oxford Dictionaries, "English language, English as used in Great Britain, as distinct from that used elsewhere". More narrowly, it can refer specifically to the English language in ...
.
Classification
BFS is classified in the fourth revision of the ''
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'' (DSM-IV) as a
culture-bound syndrome
In medicine and medical anthropology, a culture-bound syndrome, culture-specific syndrome, or folk illness is a combination of psychiatric and somatic symptoms that are considered to be a recognizable disease only within a specific society or cu ...
.
[ Individuals with ''symptoms'' of brain fag must be differentiated from those with the ''syndrome'' according to the Brain Fag Syndrome Scale (BFSS);][ Ola ''et al'' said it would not be "surpris ngif BFS was called an equivalent of either depression or anxiety".][
]
Causes
Brain fag is typically driven in people with high anxiety and people with high stress levels. Morakinyo found in 20 people with BFS an achievement drive that was