Low mood, poor quality of life and high symptom impact in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelis, 2018, Neale et al

Source: Archives of Disease in Childhood
Vol 103, Suppl 1, G13
Date: March 2018
URL: http://adc.bmj.com/content/103/Suppl_1/A5.3

Prevalence and correlates of low mood, poor quality of life and high symptom impact in adolescents attending a tertiary service for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis
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FK Neale(1), TY Segal(2), DS Hargreaves(3)
1. Medical School, University College London, London, UK
2. Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
3. Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University College London
Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK

Abstract

Background

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a condition characterised by persistent fatigue that reduces activity and affects everyday life. It is associated with mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety, and a reduction in quality of life.

More at link.

 

Low mood ( again) if the overriding focus was not on fatigue ...it is not the most debilitating symptom. Perhaps then we would get better understanding

 

Where to begin? It's no more associated with mental health diagnoses than other chronic illnesses, so right from the get-go it's problematic.

 

It is "associated" with a lot of things, Bub. You try having your career, income, social life, hobbies, stamina, independence, etc all sacrificed to an illness that has no known treatments and is interpreted by random people however they like so that they can blame you--and see how *your* mood is.

Hrmph. Am grumpy today!

 

Grr, the more I think about this the angrier I get at the low-hanging fruit of academia! ME/CFS is also "associated" (geepers, what an easy pass!) with severe pain, body wide inflammation, inflammation/atrophy of the dura/brain, chronic infection, immune dysfunction, disabling exhaustion, intractable GI inflammation/dysfunction, migraine, chronic headache, HPA axis dysfunction, dysautonomia, cognitive impairment, motor problems, visual problems, CNS inflammation and dysfunction, mitochondrial disorder, mast cell disorder....and you'd like to talk about "mood"? Thanks so much for your concern and for spending precious research dollars for the furtherance of your own career.

 

It's also associated with:

• drinking water
• watching TV
• exposure to sunlight
• eating apples
• birthday cake
• giggling
• learning the alphabet
• looking at clocks
• nose picking
• picking the scab off your knee even though the adults told you not to
• the C major chord
• orbiting the Sun

 

@Action for M.E.
This is the kind of study that requires to be addressed. Many children have more than enough to contend with without this narrative continuing.
As a charity part if your remit is education and representing your members. Perhaps this would be a good starter for 10.

 

When I came down with M.E. as an adult my mood was rather low for a while.

When I was adolescent I could be moody too, and I didn't have M.E. then.

I wonder if they controlled for the above?

 

If this was to be taken seriously at all, there would have to be a group with another chronic illness as a comparator.