Self-help interventions for young people with persistent physical symptoms: A systematic review, 2021, Holsting et al

Highlights

• Self-help treatments for young people with persistent physical symptoms are needed.
• The evidence on their effect on symptom burden is still scarce.
• Psychosocial outcomes are only included in few existing studies.
• Hypnotherapy as self-help format shows potential.
• Future high-quality studies and outcome alignment between studies are warranted.

Abstract

Objective
Persistent physical symptoms are frequent among young people causing considerable social, psychological, and economic consequences. Easily accessible interventions adapted to non-specialized settings are needed. We aimed to systematically review randomized controlled trials on self-help interventions for young people with persistent physical symptoms compared to active or passive control groups. Our purpose was to 1) describe applied therapeutic approaches and content and 2) examine potential effects on symptom burden and psychosocial outcomes.

Methods
We included randomized controlled trials on minimal contact self-help interventions for young people with persistent physical symptoms. Systematic literature searches in PubMed, Cochrane Central, Embase, and PsycINFO were conducted. Study selection, data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two reviewers. A narrative synthesis of the effects was performed.

Results
We identified 11 studies on self-help interventions for young people. The methodological quality of the studies was generally low. Participants suffered from impairing fatigue, headache, abdominal pain, and musculoskeletal or multi-site pain. Applied therapeutic approaches were cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation training, hypnotherapy, and written self-disclosure. Outcomes were diverse and mainly related to symptom burden, whereas psychosocial outcomes were only sporadically examined. Overall, evidence of effectiveness of self-help interventions in alleviating symptom burden was weak, and potential effects could not be linked to one specific theoretical approach.

Conclusion
Few self-help interventions of diverse content exist for young people with persistent physical symptoms. Rigorously designed studies that include recommended outcome domains assessed by aligned measures are needed to determine and compare the clinical value of such interventions.

Paywall, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022399921001987

 

I love it when the highlights just completely contradict themselves. It's both useless and needed. Makes as much sense as useless and cost-effective.

 

this is where the failure of the medical industry leads we cannot\will not help you because that cost time and money. so lets waste public money by paying con merchants to show you how little respect the establishment has for people who are chronically ill .

 

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The BPS studies do align, they all fail to have a long term positive effect with no objective signs of improvement. The problem is that they want to carry on doing studies to make it seem as if they are useful treatments to keep the money rolling in.

 

From my perspective these studies when looked at as a whole have one extremely effective purpose.

They demonstrate that some people are extremely busy achieving nothing.

However, because these people are so busy and prolific producing what amounts to printed loo roll, it can be said that a lot is going on and something has been very actively researched.

That achieves that primary aim of keeping other people away from the field as it's already been researched by all these "experts" and make it less attractive. If so much "talent" is already in that field then a new researcher to the field might wonder if there's anything they could do that would make a difference Researchers from other fields can be given the impression it is not their area so they should keep away too.

Essentially, aside from all the other issues with BPS BS, it's purpose is to erect a massive sign saying "Keep off the grass, this is our turf". Once they've achieved that they need do little more.

 

Couidn’t this conversely have a ‘jumping on the bandwagon’ effect, drawing people in to do yet more of the same?

 

Maybe, junior acolytes. People who want an easy ride on the coattails of the more successful "mentor".

Those who want to think & analyse for themselves, no.

Those from different fields where they might have had a tangential interest but looked at the sheer volume and considered it to be already thoroughly researched.

It will only attract more of the same. Never any different. If you're not one of ours, keep out.