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DePaul/Jason: A media content analysis of ME and CFS from 1987-2013.

mango

mango

Senior Member
Messages
905
A media content analysis of myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome from 1987-2013.

Siegel, Z., Brown, A., Devendorf, A., Collier, J., & Jason, L. A. (in press).

Chronic Illness. Published online: April 13, 2017. doi: 10.1177/1742395317703175

Abstract
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to analyze the content of American newspaper articles (n=214) from 1987 to 2013, in order to understand how the public digests information related to Chronic Fatigue syndrome, a controversial and misunderstood illness.

Methods:
A novel codebook derived from the scientific literature was applied to 214 newspaper articles collected from Lexis Nexis Academic. These articles were coded quantitatively and frequency tables were created to delineate the variables as they appeared in the articles.

Results:
The etiology was portrayed as organic in 64.5% (n=138) of the articles, and there was no mention of case definitions or diagnostic criteria in 56.1% (n=120) of the articles. The most common comorbidity was depression, appearing in 22.9% (n=49) of the articles. In 55.6% (n=119) of the articles, there was no mention of prevalence rates. In 50.9% (n=109) of the articles, there was no mention of any form of treatment for the illness. A total of 19.4% (n=42) of the headlines mislabeled the name of the illness.

Discussion:
Based on descriptive statistics of all 214 coded articles, media communicated mixed messages for salient variables such as the name of the illness, its etiology and treatment.

https://www.facebook.com/leonard.jason.12/posts/10210547054205590
 
D

Dolphin

Senior Member
Messages
17,567
The researchers viewed articles that recommended CBT and/or exercise negatively.

Based on that, one can imagine that a review of UK media coverage in recent years would probably come out quite negatively. The NICE guidelines have entrenched CBT and graded exercise as the so-called evidence-based therapies for this condition. I never thought that patients and patient organisations should have pushed for NICE guidelines in the mid-2000s. NICE guidelines generally only recommend therapies that are seen as good value for money and have at least two positive RCTs. It should have been clear that only CBT and GET were likely to be recommended.
 
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