Exploring Worry in ME/CFS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring Worry in the Context of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): A Qualitative Study
IRAS ID
320892
Contact name
Trudie Chalder
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 28 days
Research summary
A recent study carried out in SLaM explored how common worry is in people who have received Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for CFS/ME. Over 70% were struggling with worry, and the more severe their level of worry was, the more severe their fatigue was likely to be. Indirectly, CBT appeared to slightly reduce how much people struggle with worry which queried: could CBT for CFS/ME be improved if we had a better understanding of worry in this context? Worry in CFS/ME is not well understood; the present study aims to explore worry in people who have a diagnosis of CFS/ME through qualitative interviews, with the hope of gathering information to inform future treatments.
CFS/ME is a long-term condition, meaning treatments aim to manage rather than cure. It can range from a mild illness to severely disabling. National guidance states CBT should be offered to those living with CFS/ME. CBT treatments recognise that how our bodies function is closely linked to our thoughts, feelings, and behaviour. Research into CBT for CFS/ME shows it can improve levels of fatigue, distress, and how much people can do physically, however, in most studies improvements are small. CBT has stronger evidence for treating mental health difficulties, such as anxiety and depression. These difficulties are more common in people who have a diagnosis of CFS/ME, particularly Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) which has been reported to be as high as 34%, in comparison to up to 7% of the general population. There has been little research into anxiety and how it affects fatigue, but research has identified a ‘bidirectional relationship’ between the two. This study is building on the finding that over 70% of people with CFS/ME could be struggling with significant worry that doesn’t meet the criteria for GAD but causes distress and impacts fatigue.
REC name
South East Scotland REC 01
REC reference
23/SS/0111
Date of REC Opinion
6 Dec 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion