13 December 2022
Evaluating effectiveness of treatment for adults with chronic fatigue syndrome
A new systematic review of 15 studies, led by researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, has investigated the prognosis of adults with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) treated with two well-known approaches: cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET).
The systematic review, published in
Psychological Medicine, is one of the only reviews to have focused on prognosis following these treatments, and captures the proportion of subjects who improved or worsened according to various outcomes including fatigue, functioning or post-treatment change. The study found that prognosis was 8–26% better following CBT and GET compared to control conditions such as relaxation, medical care or wait-list.
CFS is a serious illness, affecting 0.2-0.4% of the population and characterized by unexplained tiredness which is severe enough to result in substantial disability. Other common symptoms include musculoskeletal pain, sleep disturbance and problems with thinking and attention. There is no ‘evidence based’ medical treatment for CFS although CBT and GET have most support within the current literature.