Jackson, Jeffrey L, O'Malley, Patrick G, Kroenke, Kurt · CNS spectrums · 2006 · DOI
This review looked at research on whether antidepressant medications and talking therapy (cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT) help with long-lasting physical symptoms like pain and fatigue. The researchers examined studies on 11 different conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome. They found that CBT was the most consistently helpful treatment, while antidepressants showed mixed results depending on the specific condition.
This review provides a systematic examination of two commonly prescribed treatments for ME/CFS and related somatic syndromes. For ME/CFS patients considering these treatments, it offers evidence-based context about what research does and does not support. The review's emphasis on CBT effectiveness and variable antidepressant outcomes is relevant to clinical decision-making.
This review does not establish that antidepressants are effective specifically for ME/CFS, as the abstract indicates data were 'scanty' for many syndromes. The review cannot prove causation or mechanisms of action—it only surveys existing trial evidence. It does not address whether treatment effects in these conditions are specific to symptom reduction or reflect treatment of comorbid depression/anxiety.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Jackson, Jeffrey L, O'Malley, Patrick G, & Kroenke, Kurt (2006). Antidepressants and cognitive-behavioral therapy for symptom syndromes.. CNS spectrums. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1092852900014383
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-jackson-2006-antidepressants-cognitive,
author = {Jackson, Jeffrey L and O'Malley, Patrick G and Kroenke, Kurt},
title = {Antidepressants and cognitive-behavioral therapy for symptom syndromes.},
journal = {CNS spectrums},
year = {2006},
doi = {10.1017/s1092852900014383},
note = {PubMed: 16575378},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/jackson-2006-antidepressants-cognitive},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/jackson-2006-antidepressants-cognitive
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