Service based comparison of group cbt to waiting list control for cfs with regard to symptom reduction and psychological dimensions - Heald et al 2019

Service based comparison of group cognitive behavior therapy to waiting list control for chronic fatigue syndrome with regard to symptom reduction and positive psychological dimensions
Heald, Adrian PhDa,*; Barber, Louise PhDb; Jones, Helen Lyon PhDb; Farman, Sanam MDc; Walther, Andreas PhDd
September 2019 - Volume 98 - Issue 39 - p e16720
doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000016720
Research Article: Clinical Trial/Experimental Study

https://journals.lww.com/md-journal...ce_based_comparison_of_group_cognitive.1.aspx

seem to remember something on another thread suggesting telling jokes(?)

I have no doubt that laughter is good but this seems a very manipulative way of getting people to 'accept' a 'therapy'.

 

Standards seem to be going down.

 

Have you heard the one about the Englishman, the Scotsman and the PACE study?

 

[my bold]

There you go then ...

 

When is waiting list a control ?
I thought the validity of this approach had been debunked
GIGO

 

It's pretty much inevitable at this point that there will be a trial of clown therapy uh?

Hopefully there is a good control that include Pennywise-type and Batman Joker-type clowns. The authors will be pleasantly surprised to find that happy clowns are the best treatment around, I'm sure. Unless they freestyle and give a try to "if you don't get better I will kill you in your sleep and eat you soul HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA" treatment. Now that would report some serious imaginary symptom reduction.

Although to be fair, we are already subjected to clown "science" so we kind of know already. There's already been the distance healing one anyway so it's hard to be more clownish anyway.

I do love how the trial aims to measure symptom reduction and does not actually ask about symptoms other than the imaginary psychomagic ones. Or actually measure anything at all. No pain reported. Don't ask don't know.

 

I don't really understand how people can attach their name to such nakedly bogus research.

 

That's discrimination. What about the Welshman?

 

Was there one involved in the PACE study?

 

Is that the one where they didn't 'GET' the joke?

 

That probably depends on how the words "involved" and "in" are used in the sentence. By some standards one is thought to have been quite influential in various roles.

 

Now I'm intrigued. Who is it?

 

Now you.ve got me doubting it. Doesn't Mansel Aylward count?

 

If he's Welsh and he was involved he is in my new joke.

 

So, I'm presuming this service based trial was done here:

http://www.srft.nhs.uk/about-us/depts/clinical-health-psychology/patients/about-our-service-cfs-me/

If you take a look at the 'books and website' tabs, you will see who's work they base their approach on.

Edit: On reading the article, the trial wasn't at Salford, but the lead for correspondence is. So basically, the same approach is being taken.

 

They used a four-point fatigue scale, with terms like "more fatigue than usual" "less fatigue than usual" something like that.

Only four points for a fatigue scale is disqualifying as bona fide ME/CFS research.

Oh, and individual ICBT (carrot bullshit therapy) versus Group CBT, oh boy. Now we're saving money, or if you were in the colonies, you'd be trademarking this (bogus) therapy and charging $800 for a 2-hour seminar to other bogus psychologists.

 

From the article: "Conversely, they were discouraged from excessive symptom focus. Regular time for joke telling was scheduled to further facilitate a non-adversarial atmosphere and increase acceptability of the intervention. Links between sense of humor and self-reported physical health appear to be well supported.[24] Similarly, there is a growing body of empirical data to support the popular belief that laughter benefits health."


There are real life mixed reviews on the outcomes from having a sense of humour, and its links to good physical health.

By these researchers logic, comedians should be some of the healthiest, happiest people around.

I can count three right off the bat who were not: one with MS, one with Parkinsons's and one who died of a heart attack.

 

Good one!

 

… and that's before you get on to the suicides.