Lancet: KCL- Mortality of people with CFS: a retrospective cohort study (extra suicide risk)

[Dolphin]

Some in ME/CFS field incl some proponents of CBT +/or GET actually recommend against giving patients much support
Nor would I like to depend on them finding effective disease-modifying treatments or cures.

Consequently, while we should diagnose and treat mood disorders appropriately, I see them as only one stopgap measure in preventing suicide in ME/CFS. Other stopgap measures include managing symptoms to the best of our ability and addressing the unmet social needs of patients, whether they be concrete, like providing written support for food/ housing benefits, or more abstract, reinforcing the validity of patients’ experiences with their family present or referring them to a support group to decrease social isolation. We can also work on increasing research funding and providing more accurate information to healthcare providers to give patients some degree of hope for a better future. Ultimately the best way to prevent suicide in ME/CFS will be to find effective disease-modifying treatments or cures for it.

 

[MeSci]

Lily Chu's article links to this. 4 of 25 cases involved ME:
http://www.demos.co.uk/files/Suicide_-_web.pdf?1314370102
Page 68
View attachment 15633

Interesting perhaps that 3 of the 4 cases with M.E. were male. Most M.E. sufferers are female, aren't they?

 

[Valentijn]

Interesting perhaps that 3 of the 4 cases with M.E. were male. Most M.E. sufferers are female, aren't they?

It might be due to the greater social condemnation for a man with a "psychosomatic" disease which is supposed to mostly hit women. And the social expectation that men be employed and have an income, when women tend to get a little more slack in that regard.

 

[Chrisb]

Interesting perhaps that 3 of the 4 cases with M.E. were male. Most M.E. sufferers are female, aren't they?

I comment with some trepidation, as I am often wrong, but the table I looked at seemed to suggest equal incidence: 2 male, 2 female.

 

[MeSci]

Interesting perhaps that 3 of the 4 cases with M.E. were male. Most M.E. sufferers are female, aren't they?

Thanks, Chrisb - I don't know how I got that wrong, but am getting a lot wrong at the moment!

 

[rosie26]

Lily Chu's article links to this. 4 of 25 cases involved ME:
http://www.demos.co.uk/files/Suicide_-_web.pdf?1314370102
Page 68
View attachment 15633

A lot of over 70 year olds taking their lives. I wasn't expecting to these those kind of numbers. I wonder if the number overall are weighted to this age group.