Therefore, on the basis of the evidence to date, ME/CFS Australia (SA), does not support the CBT and GET treatments described and implemented in the UK PACE trial as suitable treatments for ME/CFS, and has concerns about the possibility that they could cause harm.
However, the original paper claiming that GET and CBT are useful treatments for ME/CFS still stands in the journal
Psychological Medicine, and has not been retracted by the editors. This gives the impression to new readers of the article that it is scientifically sound and its conclusions are still valid.
There is now
an international open letter to the editors of
Psychological Medicine asking for the 2013 PACE paper to be retracted from the journal. It currently has 141 signatories from individual scientists and other experts, and from ME/CFS organisations, including us. We have added the signature of our association to the list as we believe it to be important that such a paper, which does not meet the generally accepted standards of research methodology, and thus draws unsupported conclusions about the treatment of ME/CFS, should not be part of the medical literature on ME/CFS. This is particularly important given that these treatments may well cause harm.
The full text of the open letter, and the signatories to date, can be seen at:
http://www.virology.ws/2017/03/23/an-open-letter-to-psychological-medicine-again/
