healthcare Review The Lonely, Isolating, and Alienating Implications of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Samir Boulazreg 1,* and Ami Rokach 2 1 Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada 2 Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] Received: 17 July 2020; Accepted: 11 October 2020; Published: 20 October 2020 Abstract: This article provides a narrative review on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) through a psychosocial lens and examines how this impairment affects its sufferers during adolescence and adulthood, as well as how it impacts family caregivers and healthcare professionals’ mental health. Since there has been a lack of investigation in the literature, the primary psychosocial stressor that this review focuses on is loneliness. As such, and in an attempt to help establish a theoretical framework regarding how loneliness may impact ME/CFS, loneliness is comprehensively reviewed, and its relation to chronic illness is described. We conclude by discussing a variety of coping strategies that may be employed by ME/CFS individuals to address their loneliness. Future directions and ways with which the literature may investigate loneliness and ME/CFS are discussed. Keywords: myalgic encephalomyelitis; chronic fatigue syndrome; loneliness; psychosocial 1. The Lonely, Isolating, and Alienating Implications of ME/CFS Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating neurological disorder known to produce a wide range of devastating symptoms best known to include extreme fatigue, pain, and post-exertional discomfort. Though it is thought to originate from a genetic predisposition and/or an interaction with a host of environmental factors (e.g., frequent injury), the exact precursors of this disorder are still not well-understood [1].