Long-term follow-up after cognitive behaviour therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome
Abstract
Objective Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Main aim was to determine whether treatment effects were maintained up to 10years after treatment.Methods Participants (n=583) of previously published studies on the effects of CBT for CFS were contacted for a long-term follow-up assessment. They completed questionnaires on main outcomes fatigue severity (CIS) and physical functioning (SF-36). The course of these outcomes since post-treatment assessment was examined using mixed model analyses.Results Between 21 and 125months after finishing CBT, 511 persons (response rate 88%) completed a follow-up assessment. At follow-up, mean fatigue severity was significantly increased to 37.60 (SD=12.76) and mean physical functioning significantly decreased to 73.16 (SD=23.56) compared to post-treatment assessment. At follow-up still 37% of the participants had fatigue scores in the normal range and 70% were not impaired in physical functioning.Conclusion Positive effects of CBT for CFS on fatigue and physical functioning were partly sustained at long-term follow-up. However, a subgroup of patients once again reported severe fatigue, and compromised physical functioning. Further research should elucidate the reasons for this deterioration to facilitate the development of treatment strategies for relapse prevention.
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High rate of relapse found in earlier study with more than 500 fatigue patients.
“This high rate of relapse has been found in an earlier study with more than 500 fatigue-patients (Janse et al., 2017).”
From The relationship between acceptance, fatigue, and subjective cognitive impairment in hematologic cancer survivors (2019) · cites this paper as Janse et al., 2017
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Hamelin, F. (2022) · doi:10.70675/4792d127z7e19z4260z875bz89e9eadba073
- Authors
- Janse, A., Nikolaus, S., Wiborg, J. F., Heins, M., van der Meer, J. W. M., Bleijenberg, G., Tummers, M., Twisk, J., & Knoop, H.
- Affiliations
- Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam (NL)
- Amsterdam Public Health (NL)
- Radboud University Medical Center (NL)
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Knoop, Hans
- Venue
- Journal of Psychosomatic Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-06
- Volume
- 97
- Pages
- 45-51
- ISSN
- 0022-3999 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2603667634
- Cited by
- 30
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 3.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Psychosomatic Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (publishedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Pure Amsterdam UMC (submittedVersion)
- VU Research Portal (submittedVersion)
- Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Radboud Universiteit
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Traumatic Brain Injury Research
- Keywords
- chronic fatigue syndrome, cognitive behavioral therapy, long-term follow-up, treatment effects, fatigue severity, physical function, relapse prevention
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Long-Term Care, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Treatment Outcome
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