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Approaching recovery from ME and CFS - L. Jason et al: J. Health Psychology

Countrygirl

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UK
https://sci-hub.bz/https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105317742195

Approaching recovery from myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome: Challenges to consider in research and practice

Andrew R Devendorf , Carly T Jackson, Madison Sunnquist and Leonard A Jason

Abstract There are unique methodological challenges to studying and assessing recovery in myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome. This study explored these challenges through interviewing 13 physicians who treat myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome. Our deductive thematic analysis produced four themes to consider when approaching recovery: lifespan differences in the illness experience; the heterogeneity of myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome—case definitions, etiological stance, and misdiagnosis; patient follow-up and selection bias; and assessment logistics. We discuss how researchers and clinicians can use these considerations when working with patients, drafting recovery criteria, and interpreting treatment outcomes. Keywords assessment, chronic fatigue syndrome, illness experience, myalgic encephalomyelitis, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, physician, qualitative methods, recovery

These findings suggest that practitioners should attend closely to the differential diagnosis between ME and CFS and psychiatric disorders (Griffith and Zarrouf, 2008). This sample expressed the potential harm that follows when a patient is misdiagnosed. Patients who have ME and CFS, but are misdiagnosed with depression, may feel stigmatized, delegitimized, and may be prescribed potentially harmful treatments (Twisk and Maes, 2009). Particularly with recovery, patients with ME and CFS may experience disappointment, frustration, and hopelessness when they do not improve after receiving treatments designed for depression (Friedberg, 2016). Some research has demonstrated psychological treatments, like CBT, to be harmful for patients with ME and CFS (Twisk and Maes, 2009), but helpful for patients with depression (Friedberg and Krupp, 1994). A useful discriminator for differentiating depression and ME and CFS is how patients react to exercise. Patients with ME and CFS experience post-exertional malaise following exercise (Fukuda et al., 1994), whereas patients with depression experience gains in their mood (Dimeo et al., 2001). Researchers and practitioners could also use the Beck Depression Inventory for Primary CARE (BDI-PC; Beck et al., 1997) to screen for depression among patients with ME and CFS. Compared to the BDI-II (Beck et al., 1996), the BDI-PC is more likely to better measure depressive symptoms in ME and CFS populations due to its omission of overlapping somatic symptoms (Brown et al., 2012b).
 

Learner1

Senior Member
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6,305
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Pacific Northwest
There a no substitute for thorough lab work to undercover physiological/biochemical abnormalities and then the silky argument between psychology vs a medical issue goes away. And, if you find a treatable problem, you're one step closer to a cure. And then you won't need CBT to feel better...
 
Thank you for posting this. I was interested in reading it.
I've seen listed other articles by Devendorf? Can you recommend his analyses or other articles?