Norwegian study shows – ME patients rarely return to work
What can wage development before and after a G93.3 diagnosis tell us about prognoses for myalgic encephalomyelitis?
A Norwegian study has shown that patients diagnosed with ME typically decline permanently in terms of their earning capabilities, as illustrated below by the drop in their average wage income over a period starting 9 years before diagnosis in 2016, until 9 years later in 2025. Less than 6% maintained an income of at least median wages after diagnosis.
Nine years before diagnosis, the men earned slightly less than their controls. Wages in the men’s groups then started falling sharply towards Y0 and continued falling in the first year after (Y1). They then fell more gradually towards Y9. The women’s average wages 9 years before diagnosis were slightly below their female controls. The wages fell more sharply between 2 years before and 1 year after diagnosis, where they stabilized at a low level.
