Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

To the Editor: The trial reported by Alicia Deale, M.Sc., and colleagues (1) is an important contribution to our knowledge concerning the management of patients presenting with chronic fatigue syndrome. It is also an important example of the successful application of cognitive behavior therapy to a general medical problem. Unfortunately, Deale and colleagues omitted reference to a similar randomized trial from our research group published more than a year earlier (2). I write to provide the reference because American readers may not be aware of it.

Taken together, these two trials from two separate centers indicate that cognitive behavior therapy has a substantial impact on the disability and symptoms of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. A case can now be made for cognitive behavior therapy to be included in an evidence-based approach to the management of this hitherto difficult-to-treat condition.