Had a proper read of this article and if this is the best they can do it is looking good for us.
It doesn't address any of the issues but simply regurgitates baseless claims which have proven to be false.
Some real beauties here:
The study’s findings that cognitive behaviour therapy and graded exercise can moderately improve outcome in CFS created a storm of criticism led mainly from patient groups attacking the study’s findings (The Lancet, 2011) and even the researchers themselves (Hawkes, 2011; The Guardian, 2011).
- Lie. No these were all exaggerated and fabricated as a narrative for the media to silence critics. Under oath they were unable to prove these in court.
These issues and other points raised have been responded to by the PACE authors in detail in this journal (White et al., 2016). They have also previously answered a number of similar rounds of critiques (Sharpe et al., 2016; Wessely, 2015; White et al., 2016).
-Lie. No they haven't! They have refused to respond to Tuller and other informed people directly.
In our experience as health psychologists, patients with other illnesses such as cancer, renal disease, heart disease or chronic respiratory problems are usually very keen to adopt psychological interventions that can reduce fatigue, improve functioning and well-being.
- Lie and very misleading. Those other illnesses have psychological interventions as an adjunct therapy not as primary treatment. PWME are refused beneficial medical treatment and given CBT/GET as directive therapy to fix false illness beliefs. Completely different.
There is a strong resistance by some people who have CFS to any psychological interpretations or interventions, which are at variance with the way they view their illness.
- Lie. No it is because they don't work and the CBT/GET research of PACE and other smaller studies are fraudulent as shown now.
Another aspect of people’s causal beliefs about illness is that they often demonstrate a modern-day version of Cartesian dualism and a rather crude division between mind and body. Thus, for the same illness, people may believe strongly in either a physical or a psychological cause, sometimes in a rather simplistic way.
- Lie. No, patients accept that mind and body is linked. It is doctors and in particular psychs who have this cartesian dualism. Also insurance companies pay for physical disability and not for mental disability. This is a complete lie and fabrication of the facts. Psychs refuse to accept the neurological classification of WHO as G93.3 but mislead and manipulate it to a mental classification F48.0.
This is cartesian dualism. The PACE authors also advise insurers who benefit from this.
In reality, most diseases are caused and perpetuated by a complex mix of behavioural and physical factors and hence will be best managed by a range of treatments (e.g. lifestyle change, self-management and medication). A failure to appreciate this may inevitably result in sub-optimal management and poorer outcome.
- Lie. No patients also accept this but the PACE authors and associates have manipulated the BPS model for their own and insurers financial gains.
The continued debate on the PACE trial seems to miss the fact that science is incremental. One study rarely has all the answers, especially for a heterogeneous and complex condition such as CFS.
- Lie. The PACE trial has had a gigantic step in changing guidelines around the world and the effect on treatment for the DWP and insurers. It has also had a massive impact on preventing biomedical research given the widely touted benefits in the media about the success of exercise on ME.
The unfortunate outcome of the continued controversy about the PACE trial and intimidation of researchers in the CFS field has increased the likelihood of deterring quality researchers from working in the area. Who would want to set up a scientific base camp in an area where you will get continuously attacked should your research findings or clinical trials support an unpopular treatment? The opportunity cost of continuous criticism of the PACE trial over 6 years ago is likely to be a considerable reduction in researchers wanting to research to further understand CFS or do further treatment trials.
- Lie. No nice try, complete red herring and disproved in court of law. Psychiatrist Fraudsters may be deterred in producing fake pseudo science for commercial gains by this criticism. Real scientists are not put off and the evidence is biomedical scientists are increasing despite these threats by psychs of militant threatening patients putting off researchers.
Declaration of conflicting interests The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.
Big Lie. Atlantis Healthcare is the biggest COI one could have in this article. This needs to be raised with JHP and the authors regulatory bodies for this omission.
P.S. They have not even acknowledged the actual real psychiatric harm on patients on imposing harmful treatments and misleading and lying to patients.
