Psychiatry

There has long been a rather fruitless debate over whether CFS/ME has a physical or psychological basis, which has resulted in unhelpful antagonism between doctors and patient groups. The Chief Medical Officer’s report of 2002 was a useful attempt to draw a line under this debate and move forward.

Many cases of CFS/ME have a clear physical basis in an objectively proven illness such as an infection or inflammatory episode. However, others arise from stress or have a post-traumatic element, and in others there is a mixture of physical and psychological factors which contribute to the development of CFS/ME. Studies have shown that around 40% of patients with CFS/ME have clinical depression, and whether this is cause or effect, the treatment of such patients on occasion requires the involvement of a consultant psychiatrist. Our team includes two consultant psychiatrists with many years experience of treating CFS/ME, and in a minority of cases, it may be suggested that you see one of them.