Illness duration, mood and symptom impact in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis?, 2019, Neale et al

[Andy]

A study published as a letter, I'm confused.

Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a disabling condition that affects 0.4% to 2.4%1 of adolescents in the UK. Previous studies have reported high levels of anxiety, depression and worry among adolescents with CFS/ME.2 In adult studies, concerns have been raised about delays in accessing specialist CFS/ME services and the impact of delays on patients’ health and well-being.3 4

In this study, we aimed first to assess the prevalence of self-reported anxiety/depression, worry and degree of symptom impact among our patient population of adolescents with CFS/ME. We then investigated whether longer illness duration was associated with higher prevalence of self-reported anxiety/depression, worry and symptom impact at initial assessment.

Paywall, https://adc.bmj.com/content/early/2019/06/13/archdischild-2018-316720
Sci hub, https://sci-hub.se/10.1136/archdischild-2018-316720

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

A study published as a letter, I'm confused.

Lightweight studies are often offered the option of publication as a letter. In the old days full papers were called 'Letters' by Nature.

 

[Esther12]

That's the journal that let Crawley breach their own requirements for prospective registration for the SMILE trial, and Segal is the author of the review that used that study to present the Lightning Process as an effective treatment:

https://www.s4me.info/threads/trial-by-error-the-lightning-process-is-“effective”-really.9586/

 

[ladycatlover]

Previous studies have reported high levels of anxiety, depression and worry among adolescents with CFS/ME

No shit Sherlock. So you're going to

assess the prevalence of self-reported anxiety/depression, worry and degree of symptom impact among our patient population of adolescents with CFS/ME

Yet another waste of money study into the bleeding obvious.

"Oh, I'm 16 and supposed to be at school and studying for A-Levels but I can't get to school. I'm ecstatic about that, means I don't get to see my friends as well - just fabulous."

What's with these idiots?

 

[Trish]

I think it's a move aimed at getting more money for their clinic so they can see patients sooner. Or more information for teachers and GP's to recognise it sooner and refer patients. Looks like it's a retrospective trawl through questionnaires filled in by kids at their first clinic appointment, not a specially set up study.

If it were a clinic doing good work helping with pacing, helping getting help with education, getting kids diagnosed and treated early would be good. If not...

 

[rvallee]

Wouldn't the opposite be really surprising? What kind of idiot expects very sick people to be worry-free and happy? Especially as they lose much of their life and normal support systems, including friends and family, abandon them whole.

Next you're going to tell me that people experiencing acute pain don't smile as much as people who aren't? That people slapped hard in the face tend to be more profane-prone than otherwise? G R O U N D B R E A K I N G.

I didn't know there was a direct path from clown college to medical school. Who even gives degrees to people so utterly incapable of using judgment and common sense?

 

[inox]

This isn't as bad as others looking into mood and ME. They are not making assumptions about causation. They are only observing that children who have been ill for longer before specialist assessment have more worries/mood issues.

Consistent with previous research, young people with CFS/ME had high levels of worry and mood disturbance; these concerns were more marked among patients who reported illness duration of greater than 24 months before specialist assessment.

This mostly looks like presenting data for arguing for faster access to specialist for children, that this center can use for grants applications.

They do not, however, have data on wether early access to diagnoses/specialist care lessens the worry/mood issues. But they mention low general knowledge about ME as a possible reason for the delay.

Although our study could not investigate the cause of delay in accessing specialist care, limited awareness of CFS/ME among young people, families, teachers and general practitioners is likely to be an important contributing factor, as well as the closure of many CFS/ME services.

I don't know how they care for children with ME at that center, but the overall feeling from this letter is something that's done with the intention of arguing for better access to care in general. Not the usual "cbt all the bad ME-thoughts away".