Effectiveness of a group-based self-management program for people with chronic fatigue syndrome: A randomized controlled trial

Background: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a chronic debilitating condition for the majority of the patients, meaning that they must learn how to cope with the illness. A pilot study was conducted to develop a... [ view full abstract ]

Background: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a chronic debilitating condition for the majority of the patients, meaning that they must learn how to cope with the illness. A pilot study was conducted to develop a self-management program that could be implemented in a primary healthcare setting.

Methods: The effectiveness of the pilot tested self-management program was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial with 137 adults with CFS. Occupational therapists and peer-counsellors conducted the program. The control group received usual care. Assessments were performed at baseline, and at six-month and one-year follow-ups to investigate the effect of the intervention on physical functioning, fatigue severity, self-efficacy, health status, and acceptance.

Results: At the six-month follow-up, a significant difference between the two groups was found concerning self-efficacy in favor of the intervention group (p = 0.039) and fatigue severity (p = 0.039) in favor of the control group. These significant differences were not sustained at the one-year follow-up. No significant differences were found between the groups concerning physical functioning, acceptance and health status at any of the measure points. The dropout rate was 13.9 % and the median number of sessions attended was seven.

Conclusion: The evaluated program did not have any sustained effect, as compared to receiving usual care. However, the low dropout rate and high number of sessions attended may indicate that the program is an acceptable and helpful intervention.

Application to Practice: A process evaluation is needed to provide insight into how the intervention might be improved.