Endicott, N A · Journal of psychosomatic research · 1999 · DOI
This study looked at 45 psychiatric patients with ME/CFS and compared their family medical histories to two similar groups of psychiatric patients without ME/CFS. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients' parents tended to die younger and had more cancer, autoimmune disorders, and ME/CFS-like illnesses compared to the families of control patients. There were no significant differences in mental health conditions between the families.
This research provides evidence that ME/CFS may cluster within families alongside other physical health conditions like autoimmune diseases and cancer, suggesting possible shared biological mechanisms or genetic predisposition. Understanding familial patterns could help identify at-risk individuals and guide future research into the biological underpinnings of ME/CFS.
This study does not establish whether the familial clustering is genetic, environmental, or both—it only documents reported family history. The study cannot prove causation or determine whether parents' early death and health conditions directly caused or contributed to ME/CFS development in offspring. Additionally, findings may not generalize beyond psychiatric populations or reflect actual medical diagnoses versus patient reports.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Endicott, N A (1999). Chronic fatigue syndrome in private practice psychiatry: family history of physical and mental health.. Journal of psychosomatic research. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-3999(99)00013-6
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-endicott-1999-chronic-fatigue,
author = {Endicott, N A},
title = {Chronic fatigue syndrome in private practice psychiatry: family history of physical and mental health.},
journal = {Journal of psychosomatic research},
year = {1999},
doi = {10.1016/s0022-3999(99)00013-6},
note = {PubMed: 10616228},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/endicott-1999-chronic-fatigue},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-25. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/endicott-1999-chronic-fatigue
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