Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory
What It Measures
The MFSI-SF measures fatigue as several different things rather than one. Someone can be physically drained but mentally sharp, or foggy and forgetful while their body feels fine, and a single fatigue rating would flatten that difference.
Thirty statements are rated from not at all to extremely, describing the past week. Five subscales come out: general fatigue, physical fatigue, emotional fatigue, mental fatigue, and vigor — the last measuring energy rather than its absence. Each runs 0 to 24. The total is calculated by adding the four fatigue subscales and subtracting vigor, so it ranges from -24 to 96, with higher meaning more fatigue.
Further Reading
Additional Notes
Licensing Notes: Both the full MFSI and the short form are distributed through the authors, who publish an information handout with permission details.
Learn More: A change of more than 4.5 points on the total is the commonly cited minimal clinically important difference. Psychometric properties were originally established in women with breast cancer and women with no cancer history, though the MFSI-SF is now used well beyond oncology.
