Short-term group therapy for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome

Background: This study presents experiences of focused short-term group the rapy for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Methods: Fourteen wo men diagnosed as CFS patients were randomly placed into two groups. The con trol group received group therapy 5 months after the first group. The proje ct consisted of 10 group sessions of 1.5 h per week. Sense of coherence (SO C) was used for measuring coping resources, and self-rating scales of quali ty of life and of fatigue were compared before and after group therapy. Res ults: The most valuable aspect was the sharing of experiences. More than ha lf of the patients also felt that the sessions had improved psychological w ell-being through adjustment of ambitions and improved coping with symptoms . Conclusion: The study encourages further research. If group therapy is ch osen as treatment for these patients, a longer period is recommended. A pos sible alternative is individualized short-term therapy adapted to each pati ent's needs, problems and circumstances. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, B asel.