The Role of Psychotherapy in the Care of Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue (ME/CFS) is a post-infectious, chronic disease that can lead to severe impairment and, even, total disability. Although the disease has been known for a long time, and has been coded in the ICD since 1969 (G93.3), medical research has not yet been able to re...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-04-01
|
| Series: | Medicina |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/59/4/719 |
| _version_ | 1827744475757150208 |
|---|---|
| author | Tilman Grande Bettina Grande Patrick Gerner Sabine Hammer Michael Stingl Mark Vink Brian M. Hughes |
| author_facet | Tilman Grande Bettina Grande Patrick Gerner Sabine Hammer Michael Stingl Mark Vink Brian M. Hughes |
| author_sort | Tilman Grande |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue (ME/CFS) is a post-infectious, chronic disease that can lead to severe impairment and, even, total disability. Although the disease has been known for a long time, and has been coded in the ICD since 1969 (G93.3), medical research has not yet been able to reach a consensus regarding its physiological basis and how best to treat it. Against the background of these shortcomings, psychosomatic disease models have been developed and psychotherapeutic treatments have been derived from them, but their empirical testing has led to sobering results. According to the current state of research, psychotherapy and psychosomatic rehabilitation have no curative effect in the treatment of ME/CFS. Nevertheless, we see numerous patients in practices and outpatient clinics who suffer severely as a result of their illness and whose mental well-being and coping strategies would benefit from psychotherapeutic help. In this article, we outline a psychotherapeutic approach that serves this need, taking into account two basic characteristics of ME/CFS: firstly, the fact that ME/CFS is a physical illness and that curative treatment must therefore be physical; and secondly, the fact that post exertional malaise (PEM) is a cardinal symptom of ME/CFS and thus warrants tailored psychotherapeutic attention. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:45:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1f4b8349550a4c6e85dfd71cd61417c3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1010-660X 1648-9144 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:45:24Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Medicina |
| spelling | doaj.art-1f4b8349550a4c6e85dfd71cd61417c32023-11-17T20:21:01ZengMDPI AGMedicina1010-660X1648-91442023-04-0159471910.3390/medicina59040719The Role of Psychotherapy in the Care of Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue SyndromeTilman Grande0Bettina Grande1Patrick Gerner2Sabine Hammer3Michael Stingl4Mark Vink5Brian M. Hughes6Independent Researcher, 69117 Heidelberg, GermanyIndependent Researcher, 69117 Heidelberg, GermanyKlinik für Kinder und Jugendmedizin, Ortenau Klinikum, 77654 Offenburg, GermanyGesundheit & Soziales, Hochschule Fresenius, 65510 Idstein, GermanyFacharztzentrum Votivpark, 1090 Wien, AustriaIndependent Researcher, 1096 HZ Amsterdam, The NetherlandsSchool of Psychology, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, IrelandMyalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue (ME/CFS) is a post-infectious, chronic disease that can lead to severe impairment and, even, total disability. Although the disease has been known for a long time, and has been coded in the ICD since 1969 (G93.3), medical research has not yet been able to reach a consensus regarding its physiological basis and how best to treat it. Against the background of these shortcomings, psychosomatic disease models have been developed and psychotherapeutic treatments have been derived from them, but their empirical testing has led to sobering results. According to the current state of research, psychotherapy and psychosomatic rehabilitation have no curative effect in the treatment of ME/CFS. Nevertheless, we see numerous patients in practices and outpatient clinics who suffer severely as a result of their illness and whose mental well-being and coping strategies would benefit from psychotherapeutic help. In this article, we outline a psychotherapeutic approach that serves this need, taking into account two basic characteristics of ME/CFS: firstly, the fact that ME/CFS is a physical illness and that curative treatment must therefore be physical; and secondly, the fact that post exertional malaise (PEM) is a cardinal symptom of ME/CFS and thus warrants tailored psychotherapeutic attention.https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/59/4/719chronic fatigue syndromecognitive behavioral therapyexercisemyalgic encephalomyelitispacingpsychotherapy |
| spellingShingle | Tilman Grande Bettina Grande Patrick Gerner Sabine Hammer Michael Stingl Mark Vink Brian M. Hughes The Role of Psychotherapy in the Care of Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Medicina chronic fatigue syndrome cognitive behavioral therapy exercise myalgic encephalomyelitis pacing psychotherapy |
| title | The Role of Psychotherapy in the Care of Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome |
| title_full | The Role of Psychotherapy in the Care of Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome |
| title_fullStr | The Role of Psychotherapy in the Care of Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Role of Psychotherapy in the Care of Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome |
| title_short | The Role of Psychotherapy in the Care of Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome |
| title_sort | role of psychotherapy in the care of patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis chronic fatigue syndrome |
| topic | chronic fatigue syndrome cognitive behavioral therapy exercise myalgic encephalomyelitis pacing psychotherapy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/59/4/719 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tilmangrande theroleofpsychotherapyinthecareofpatientswithmyalgicencephalomyelitischronicfatiguesyndrome AT bettinagrande theroleofpsychotherapyinthecareofpatientswithmyalgicencephalomyelitischronicfatiguesyndrome AT patrickgerner theroleofpsychotherapyinthecareofpatientswithmyalgicencephalomyelitischronicfatiguesyndrome AT sabinehammer theroleofpsychotherapyinthecareofpatientswithmyalgicencephalomyelitischronicfatiguesyndrome AT michaelstingl theroleofpsychotherapyinthecareofpatientswithmyalgicencephalomyelitischronicfatiguesyndrome AT markvink theroleofpsychotherapyinthecareofpatientswithmyalgicencephalomyelitischronicfatiguesyndrome AT brianmhughes theroleofpsychotherapyinthecareofpatientswithmyalgicencephalomyelitischronicfatiguesyndrome AT tilmangrande roleofpsychotherapyinthecareofpatientswithmyalgicencephalomyelitischronicfatiguesyndrome AT bettinagrande roleofpsychotherapyinthecareofpatientswithmyalgicencephalomyelitischronicfatiguesyndrome AT patrickgerner roleofpsychotherapyinthecareofpatientswithmyalgicencephalomyelitischronicfatiguesyndrome AT sabinehammer roleofpsychotherapyinthecareofpatientswithmyalgicencephalomyelitischronicfatiguesyndrome AT michaelstingl roleofpsychotherapyinthecareofpatientswithmyalgicencephalomyelitischronicfatiguesyndrome AT markvink roleofpsychotherapyinthecareofpatientswithmyalgicencephalomyelitischronicfatiguesyndrome AT brianmhughes roleofpsychotherapyinthecareofpatientswithmyalgicencephalomyelitischronicfatiguesyndrome |