"Got ME? Just SMILE!" - Media coverage of the SMILE trial…..

TiredSam

TiredSam

The wise nematode hibernates
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This paper by Crawley and associated press coverage is basically a giant advert for the Lightning process dressed up as science. Didn't the ASA tell them to stop doing that? And hasn't Crawley been caught out lying when she says that she investigated LP due to parents' questions, when in fact her connections to Phil Parker go back before that?
 
lilpink

lilpink

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Isn't this Crawley's biggest 'own goal' of her career? Who on this planet apart from her Wesser-mukkers and the SMC (probably the same list of people for all I know) can ever take her seriously again after this? Seriously? You've gotta be joking! (I'm sounding like John McEnroe now).
It's infantile, junk-science, moronic drivel. She refers to herself as an 'academic'. It's laughable. Let's just wait for the real academics to look this one over, realise that as a patient ( & good grief you do have to be patient!) you are asked to stand on a circle and shout 'stop' and then expect to feel better. There is zero credibility in this. She is making a complete and utter fool of herself... somebody who genuinely cares for her well-being should ask her to stop. I'm being partly sarcastic there..but really..genuinely...has she no one in her family or circle of friends who can draw her aside and just say 'enough now dear'?
 
A.B.

A.B.

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lilpink said:
Isn't this Crawley's biggest 'own goal' of her career? Who on this planet apart from her Wesser-mukkers and the SMC (probably the same list of people for all I know) can ever take her seriously again after this? Seriously? You've gotta be joking! (I'm sounding like John McEnroe now).
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It should be, but in the UK anything is possible. It's not much worse than the false illness beliefs model.
 
C

Chrisb

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One thing that has been noticeably missing from all the reporting is a detailed description of what the Lightning Process involves. The ordinary reader or listener might think it is merely mainstream mumbo jumbo, and form no particular views about the nature of the alleged treatment.

Crawley should be pushed to explain in detail what is involved rather than being allowed to hide behind the name of the Lightning Process, with the addition of a few scientificy sounding phrases.
 
Y

Yogi

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1,132
Prof Michael Sharpe, Professor of Psychological Medicine, University of Oxford, said:

“Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a name for an illness with symptoms of long lasting and disabling fatigue. It affects many young people and can interfere with their education. Whilst some people call it myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) it is not clear if this is the same or a different condition.

“This trial tests the effectiveness of a commercially available brief intensive talking therapy for CFS called the Lightning Process. The treatment has similarities to cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and is given in groups. The treatment was found to be better than usual care in fatigue, physical function and school attendance, with benefit seen as long as a year later. It was also safe. The study does not tell us how it works however.

“This is a robust study because patient were allocated to one of the two treatments at random ensuring that any difference seen in outcome between these treatments, is not due to pre-existing differences in the patients. The main limitation is that, as it is not possible to hide which treatment they received from the patients, their self-ratings of fatigue and functioning could potentially be biased by their views on the treatment they received. However, differences in the school attendance a year later were also noted; it seems likely that these could be due to such a bias.

“Commercially available treatments like this one that are being used by patients should be rigorously tested. This is especially important for an illness like this one about which much misinformation is spread using social media. We need more studies and less polemic.”


* ‘Clinical and cost-effectiveness of the Lightning Process in addition to specialist medical care for paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome: randomised controlled trial’ by Crawley et al. will be published in Journal of Archives of Disease in Childhood at 23:30 UK time on Wednesday 20th September, which is also when the embargo will lift.


Declared interests

Prof Sutcliffe: None received

Prof Bishop:“Member of the SMC Advisory Board”

Dr Thompson: “None”

Prof Sharpe: “Principal investigator of the PACE trial”
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Who funded this? Was it NIHR?

I thought I read somewhere that Michael Sharpe is the senior NIHR grant making person (who would approve such grants to EC).

Does anyone have the evidence that Michael Sharpe is on the NIHR?

Surely if so that should be declared as a serious conflict of interest!
 
A

AndyPR

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Chrisb said:
One thing that has been noticeably missing from all the reporting is a detailed description of what the Lightning Process involves. The ordinary reader or listener might think it is merely mainstream mumbo jumbo, and form no particular views about the nature of the alleged treatment.

Crawley should be pushed to explain in detail what is involved rather than being allowed to hide behind the name of the Lightning Process, with the addition of a few scientificy sounding phrases.
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This is a very good point. Surely in order to be replicable by anyone, then the exact processes need to be known? Or is this again another example of where psych trials are allowed to be different to drug trials?
 
S

Sean

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Mrs Sowester said:
I know this BS study feels like a blow, but look at the quotes from the SMC, they are not exactly glowing with praise, are they?
They read to me like they were distancing themselves from this Creepy Crawley-ness. That is a win and not a small win either when you think about it.
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I am tending this way too. She has exposed herself very badly here, with little cover or a good escape route.

The only 'effect' she has demonstrated is the well known power of gaslighting, intimidation, and extortion, over sick vulnerable children no less. It's not a good look from any angle.

I suspect those quoted are damning her with faint praise, and actually desperately wish she would shut the eff up, because she is about to blow their whole racket wide open.
 
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