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Depression in paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome
Helen Bould1, Simon M Collin, Glyn Lewis
1School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Archives of Disease in Childhood
|April 27, 2013
Summary
Depression affects 29% of children with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)/myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). Higher disability, fatigue, and pain are linked to increased depression risk in pediatric CFS/ME patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Mental Health
- Chronic Illness Research
Background:
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) significantly impacts children's lives.
- Comorbid depression is a concern in pediatric CFS/ME, yet its prevalence and associations require further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of depression in children diagnosed with CFS/ME.
- To explore the relationship between depression and key clinical symptoms in pediatric CFS/ME, including fatigue, disability, pain, and school attendance.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was conducted using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) on 542 children aged 12-18 years with CFS/ME.
- Depression was defined as a HADS depression score greater than 9.
- Data were collected at assessment within a specialist pediatric CFS/ME service.
Main Results:
- 29% of pediatric CFS/ME patients (156/542) exhibited depression.
- Univariable analysis revealed associations between depression and female sex, poorer school attendance, higher fatigue, disability, and pain.
- Multivariable analysis identified disability, specifically lower physical function (SF-36), as the strongest predictor of depression.
Conclusions:
- Depression is a common comorbidity in pediatric CFS/ME, occurring at higher rates than in the general population.
- Depression in this cohort is significantly associated with indicators of disease severity.
- Routine screening, identification, and treatment of depression are crucial for managing children with CFS/ME.
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