title: Telephone-based guided self-help for adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome: A non-randomised cohort study.
abstract: The aim of this study was to gain preliminary evidence about the efficacy of a new telephone-based guided self-help intervention, based on cognitive-behavioural principles, which aimed to reduce fatigue and improve school attendance in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). A non-randomised cohort design was used, with a two-month baseline period. Sixty-three 11-18 year-old participants recruited from a specialist CFS unit received the intervention. Participants received six half-hour fortnightly telephone sessions and two follow-up sessions. Fatigue and school attendance were the main outcomes and the main time point for assessing outcome was 6 months post-treatment. Using multi-level modelling, a significant decrease in fatigue was found between pre-treatment and 6 month follow-up, treatment effect estimate = - 5.68 (-7.63, -3.72), a large effect size (Cohen's d = 0.79). The decrease in fatigue between pre and post-treatment was significantly larger than between baseline and pre-treatment. A significant increase in school attendance was found between pre-treatment and 6 month follow-up, effect estimate = 1.38 (0.76, 2.00), a medium effect size (d = -0.48). univariate logistic regression found baseline perfectionism to be associated with better [corrected] school attendance at six-month follow-up. In conclusion, telephone-based guided self-help is an acceptable minimal intervention which is efficacious in reducing fatigue in adolescents with CFS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, Weston Education Centre, Cutcombe Road, London, UK. Samantha.lloyd@kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.forename: Trudie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chalder
authors.forename: Hannah M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Sallis
authors.forename: Katharine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Rimes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D013689:Telephone; D016896:Treatment Outcome