Suicide is an important public health issue during the current pandemic of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs). In EIDs, various symptoms persist even after recovery, and chronic fatigue is among those that are commonly reported. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of chronic fatigue syndrome on suicidality during the recovery phase among survivors of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). MERS survivors were recruited from five centers and prospectively followed up for 2 years. In total, 63 participants were registered at 12 months (T1), of whom 53 and 50 completed the assessments at 18 months (T2) and 24 months (T3), respectively. Suicidality and chronic fatigue were evaluated using the suicidality module of the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), respectively. We analyzed the relationship between chronic fatigue and suicidality during the follow-up period using the generalized estimating equation (GEE). The suicidality rates were 22.2% (n = 14), 15.1% (n = 8), and 10.0% (n = 5) at T1–T3, respectively. Of the 63 participants, 29 had chronic fatigue syndrome at T1. The group that reported chronic fatigue syndrome at T1 was more likely to experience suicidality during the 2-year follow-up than the group that reported otherwise (RR: 7.5, 95% CI: 2.4–23.1). This association was present even after adjusting for potential confounders (RR: 7.6, 95% CI: 2.2-26.0). Chronic fatigue syndrome and suicide risk among emerging infectious disease (EID) survivors should be acknowledged, and effective interventions must be developed.

BackgroundThis study aims to examine the psychiatric diagnoses, psychotropic drug use, and related factors in patients with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) during their acute treatment phase.MethodsWe performed a retrospective chart review of patients admitted to the isolation ward at a nationally designated hospital during the COVID-19 outbreak. All the COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital were assigned to psychiatrists by consultation in order to monitor their mental health during their hospital stay. We analyzed the medical records and self-reported psychological tests of 80 out of 112 patients.ResultsOn admission, 16.3% of the subjects had self-reported depression and 6.3% had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Twenty-five patients (31.3%) had current diagnoses of mental disorders. These disorders consisted of nonorganic insomnia, acute stress reaction, panic disorder, and depressive episodes. Nineteen patients (23.8%) were prescribed psychotropic drugs, including trazodone, alprazolam, clonazepam, and zolpidem. Factors associated with these psychiatric diagnoses included self-reported PTSD on the day of admission and having a spouse. Previous psychiatric history and age of 40 years or more were associated with the use of psychotropic drugs.ConclusionMental health services rendered to quarantined COVID-19 patients undergoing an acute treatment phase and self-reported PTSD on the day of admission might be useful in predicting mental health problems during hospital days.