COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOR THERAPY FOR FUNCTIONAL SOMATIC COMPLAINTS - THE EXAMPLE OF CHRONIC-FATIGUE-SYNDROME

Somatic complaints such as pain and fatigue that are unexplained by co nventional disease are common in medical practice and are referred to as functional, somatoform, or somatization symptoms. Despite frequent chronicity, disability, and high associated medical costs, patients wi th these complaints are rarely offered either constructive explanation s or effective treatment. In this perspective, a cognitive-behavioral approach to the problem is described, using chronic fatigue syndrome a s an example. It is concluded that the utility of the cognitive-behavi oral theory and the proven effectiveness cognitive behavior therapy pr ovide the basis for a new evidence-based approach to psychosomatics.