25 FEBRUARY 2020
By David Tuller, DrPH
Leonard Jason, a professor of psychology at DePaul University in Chicago, is a recognized expert in research on the prevalence of and case definitions for the illness (or cluster of illnesses) variously referred to as myalgic encephalomyelitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, ME/CFS, CFS/ME and other names. I posted
an interview with him on case definition a couple of years ago.
Professor Jason recently co-led a study called “The prevalence of pediatric myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome in a community-based sample.” The study–the most rigorous of its kind–was published last month by the journal Child & Youth Care Forum. I asked him why he thought the study was needed. Here’s what he said:
I did the study because most prior pediatric prevalence studies of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) have been based upon data from tertiary care centers, a process known for systematic biases such as excluding youth of lower socioeconomic status and those less likely to have access to health care. In addition, most pediatric ME/CFS epidemiologic studies have not included a thorough medical and psychiatric examination...................................
