Understanding the experiences of people who have attended CBT for CFS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A Grounded Theory exploring the experiences of people who have attended Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
IRAS ID
238393
Contact name
Sue Holltum
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Canterbury Christ Church University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, 4 days
Research summary
This project is looking at the process of receiving face to face Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for adults with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). It is a qualitative study and data will be gathered using face to face, skype or telephone semi- structured interviews conducted by the principal investigator. Participants who have completed CBT will be interviewed about their experiences. Data collected will be analysed using grounded theory analysis to build a theory, grounded in the data, of how people experience and make use of CBT for CFS.
In the UK, it is currently recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) that CBT is offered to people with mild or moderate CFS/ME. However, these guidelines are now under review. Several meta-analyses and reviews have shown that CBT for CFS bring about a modest reduction in self-reported fatigue symptoms for some people, and that this reduction is greater than for other psychological therapies. Meta-analysis suggests that around 40-50% of CFS patients in published studies show an improvement in fatigue symptoms, compared with 26% of those who have received usual care. However, a recent cross-sectional patient survey suggests that only between 8%–35% of people who have received CBT for CFS report that it has been of benefit to them. Furthermore, the definitions of improvement and recovery used across studies have been criticised. In addition, there is a lack of evidence for CBT resulting in improvements in objective measures of physical functioning and for long-term improvement in fatigue symptoms. Lastly, patient reports suggest that CBT may cause distress and worsening of symptoms if inappropriately prescribed.
There are currently very few studies looking at adults with CFS’ experiences of receiving CBT. Therefore, this research provides the opportunity to add to the current knowledge base.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/0581
Date of REC Opinion
29 Jun 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion