Identifying and Managing Suicidality in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Surprisingly, in a study focusing on the association between suicide and physical illness of all types in the United Kingdom, 16% of the deceased in the county sampled suffered from ME/CFS [10]. [...] The purpose of this article is four-fold: (a) to perform a review of the literature on ME/CFS and suicide, (b) to identify risk and mitigating factors for suicide in ME/CFS versus other chronic physical conditions, (c) to outline a strategy for assessing suicidality and (d) to explain basic management of at-risk patients in an outpatient medical setting. [...] She relies on the bus for medical appointments but the exertion of getting out of bed, dressing, waiting for the bus and being upright for the appointment leaves her exhausted and bed-bound for days. [...] In a study of a suicide risk scale for people with POTS, a disorder related to the orthostatic intolerance symptom of ME/CFS, 79% of respondents reported “high” or “very high” loneliness on the UCLA Loneliness Scale [47], further suggesting social impoverishment in ME/CFS as a mechanism for suicide risk. [...] If patients are unable or unwilling to answer any question on the ASQ, the default is to score the question Healthcare 2021, 9, 629 as though the patient answered “Yes.” Although 4 of the 5 ASQ’s questions con1c1eorfn2 9 thoughts, the C-SSR covers thoughts, methods, intentions, and specific plans.