Anxiety disorders: a result of long-term chronic fatigue--the psychiatric characteristics of the sufferers of Iceland disease

• Published in: Acta Neurologica Scandinavica
• Main Authors: Líndal, E, Bergmann, S, Thorlacius, S, Stefansson, J G
• Other Authors: Department of Psychiatry, National University Hospital, Reykjavík, Iceland.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley-Blackwell 2010
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Agoraphobia; Anxiety Disorders; Diagnosis; Differential; Fatigue Syndrome; Chronic; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Iceland; Male; Middle Aged; Personality Assessment; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Akureyri
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2336/111236; https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0404.1997.tb00259.x

To access publisher full text version of this article. Please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field OBJECTIVE: In order to clarify the lifetime likelihood of developing psychiatric disorder following the Akureyri disease, we have investigated 55 well documented cases of the Akureyri disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All participants were interviewed and diagnosed as to psychiatric disorders according to DSM-III. RESULTS: Of the 55 subjects included in this analysis 53 were women. The mean age of the participants was 67.7 years. The most common problem was agoraphobia with panic attacks 12.7% (P < 0.0001); agoraphobia without panic attacks 21.8% (P < 0.0001); social phobia 14.5% (P < 0.001); simple phobia 18.1% (P < 0.05); schizophrenia 3.6% (P < 0.01); and alcohol dependence 5.4% (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Prolonged chronic fatigue most commonly results in anxiety disorders. Following the infection, the more serious psychiatric disorders do not seem to play a major role in the long run.