Depression in Patients with Neuromyasthenia (Benign Myalgic Encephalomyelitis)

Neuromyasthenia (benign myalgic encephalomyelitis) is a term used to describe a protracted and incomplete recovery phase following viral-like illnesses. There are few significant physical findings or abnormal laboratory determinations. Although depressive symptoms have been observed in individuals w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of psychiatry in medicine 1987-01, Vol.17 (1), p.49-56
Main Authors: Taerk, Gary S., Toner, Brenda B., Salit, Irving E., Garfinkel, Paul E., Ozersky, Samuel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Biological and medical sciences
Depressive Disorder - complications
Dexamethasone
Encephalomyelitis - complications
Female
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Mental depression
Mental Disorders - complications
Organic mental disorders. Neuropsychology
Personality Inventory
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
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Summary:Neuromyasthenia (benign myalgic encephalomyelitis) is a term used to describe a protracted and incomplete recovery phase following viral-like illnesses. There are few significant physical findings or abnormal laboratory determinations. Although depressive symptoms have been observed in individuals with neuromyasthenia, systematic psychological investigations based on a standardized interview technique have not been reported. This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and psychiatric symptoms in a group of patients presenting with neuromyasthenia. The study consisted of three parts: a structured psychiatric interview (The National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule), a self-report measure (The Beck Depression Inventory) and Dexamethasone Suppression Test. Results indicated that relative to a matched comparison group of non-clinical volunteers, a significant percentage (67%) of neuromyasthenic patients met criteria for major depression. Even more striking was the observation that 50 percent of the sample had a major depressive episode prior to the development of neuromyasthenia. These findings suggest that sporadic neuromyasthenia may be the result of an organic illness in psychologically susceptible individuals.
ISSN:0091-2174
1541-3527
DOI:10.2190/8R67-N9ER-XR74-9RA7