CBT For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
The Science Media Centre states that “CFS/ME is highly controversial with longstanding disagreements between the mainstream medical community and campaigners about its cause and treatment” (Science Media Centre, 2018). Treatments currently recognized by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), pacing and graded activity, and graded exercise therapy. Read more
Activity Diary (Hourly Time Intervals)
Worksheet
Activity Diary (No Time Intervals)
Worksheet
Activity Menu
Information Handout
Behavioral Activation Activity Diary
Worksheet
Behavioral Activation Activity Planning Diary
Worksheet
Behavioral Experiment
Worksheet
Behavioral Experiment (Portrait Format)
Worksheet
CBT Daily Activity Diary With Enjoyment And Mastery Ratings
Worksheet
CBT Thought Record
Worksheet
Challenging Your Negative Thinking
Guide
Exercise For Mental Health
Information Handout
Fatigue Activity Diary
Worksheet
Health Anxiety Thought Monitoring Record
Worksheet
Health Anxiety Thought Record
Worksheet
Identifying The Meaning Of Body Sensations
Worksheet
Pacing For Pain And Fatigue
Exercise
Pain Activity Diary
Worksheet
Pain Diary
Worksheet
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Exercise
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (Audio)
Audio
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (Edition 1)
Exercise
Sleep Diary
Worksheet
Therapy Blueprint
Exercise
Thought Challenging Record 7 Column
Worksheet
Unhelpful Thinking Styles
Information Handout
What Does Exercise Do For the Mind And Body?
Information Handout
Intervention
Treatment guides
The PACE trial was a large-scale study comparing CBT, graded exercise therapy (GET), and standard medical care for CFS. It found that CBT and GET were more effective for CFS than standard care alone.
- CBT for CFS therapist manual
downloadarchived copy - CBT for CFS participant manual
downloadarchived copy - Graded Exercise Therapy for CFS therapist manual
downloadarchived copy - Graded Exercise Therapy for CFS participant manual
downloadarchived copy
Self-Help Programmes
- Pacing for people with M.E. – Action For M.E. download archive copy
- Self-help guide to recovery for chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia download archived copy
- Understanding chronic fatigue syndrome download archived copy
- CFS self-help information – Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS download archived copy
Recommended Reading
- Larun, L., Brurberg, K. G., Odgaard‐Jensen, J., & Price, J. R. (2016). Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (2). download archived copy
- Marques, M. M., De Gucht, V., Gouveia, M. J., Leal, I., & Maes, S. (2015). Differential effects of behavioral interventions with a graded physical activity component in patients suffering from Chronic Fatigue (Syndrome): An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical psychology review, 40, 123-137.
downloadarchived copy - White, P. D., Goldsmith, K., Johnson, A. L., Chalder, T., & Sharpe, M. (2013). Recovery from chronic fatigue syndrome after treatments given in the PACE trial. Psychological medicine, 43(10), 2227-2235. download archived copy
What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / Myalgic Encephalomyelitis?
Signs and Symptoms of CFS/ME
CFS/ME is characterized by disabling tiredness (fatigue) that lasts a long time and cannot be explained by other causes. CFS/ME should be considered if the fatigue prevents the individual from doing things that they used to be able to, if the fatigue gets worse after activity or gentle exercise, or if the following symptoms are present:
- sleep problems
- pain in the muscles or joints
- headaches
- sore throat or sore glands that aren’t swollen
- problems thinking, remembering, concentrating, or planning
- flu-like symptoms
- feeling dizzy or sick or having palpitations
- exercising or concentrating on something makes your symptoms worse
Psychological Models and Theory of CFS/ME
Understanding of the causes and maintenance of CFS/ME is incomplete. Biomedical factors likely play a role. Like any physical illness it is normal to have thoughts and feelings about symptoms and what they mean, and so psychological approaches also have potential clinical value. Models of CFS/ME including psychological factors include:
- Browne and Chalder (2006)
- Burgess and Chalder (2004)
- Vercoulen et al. (1998)
- Harvey and Wessely (2009)
- Roche, Dawson, Moghaddam, Abey, and Gresswell (2017)
- Wiborg, Knoop, Frank, and Bleijenberg (2012)
References
- Browne, T., & Chalder, T. (2006). Chronic fatigue syndrome. Psychiatry, 5(2), 48–51.
- Burgess, M., & Chalder, T. (2004). Cognitive behaviourtherapy for CFS/ME: PACE manual for participants. MREC v. 2. Retrieved from: https://me-pedia.org/images/7/7a/PACE-cbt-participant-manual.pdf
- Harvey, S. B., & Wessely, S. (2009). Chronic fatigue syndrome: Identifying zebras amongst the horses. BMC Medicine, 7(1), 58. https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7015-7-58
- Roche, L., Dawson, D. L., Moghaddam, N. G., Abey, A., & Gresswell, D. M. (2017). An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS): A case series approach. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 6(2), 178–186.
- Science Media Centre (2018). Science Media Centre Factsheet: CFS/ME—The illness and the controversy. Retrieved from: http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Science-Media-Centre-Factsheet-CFS-ME.pdf
- Vercoulen, J. H. M. M., Swanink, C. M. A., Galama, J. M. D., Fennis, J. F. M., Jongen, P. J. H., Hommes, O. R., van der Meer, J. W., & Bleijenberg, G. (1998). The persistence of fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome and multiple sclerosis: Development of a model. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 45(6), 507–517.
- Wiborg, J. F., Knoop, H., Frank, L. E., & Bleijenberg, G. (2012). Towards an evidence-based treatment model for cognitive behavioral interventions focusing on chronic fatigue syndrome. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 72(5), 399–404.