Koller, Katharina, Herold, Regina, Morawa, Eva et al. · Journal of psychosomatic research · 2025 · DOI
This study looked at how patients with long COVID use different strategies to cope with their symptoms, and whether certain coping approaches help them feel better over time. Researchers tracked 339 patients for about 4-5 months and found that people who felt more confident in their ability to manage their condition experienced less fatigue and depression later on. However, surprisingly, patients who reported being very adaptable actually had worse fatigue and other symptoms, which suggests that coping isn't straightforward.
For ME/CFS and post-COVID patients struggling with fatigue and cognitive impairment, understanding which coping strategies actually improve outcomes is crucial for developing effective behavioral interventions. This study provides preliminary evidence that clinical programs should focus on building genuine coping competence rather than assuming all adaptive strategies are equally beneficial.
This study cannot establish causation—it is unclear whether higher coping competence leads to better outcomes or whether healthier patients naturally develop better coping skills. The paradoxical finding that adaptability worsened symptoms may reflect reporting bias (sicker patients may claim adaptability defensively) rather than a true harmful effect. Results are specific to post-COVID and may not directly apply to ME/CFS.
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
Koller, Katharina, Herold, Regina, Morawa, Eva, & Erim, Yesim (2025). Coping competence and health outcomes in post-COVID: A prospective study on the role of adaptive strategies in symptom management and physical and mental health.. Journal of psychosomatic research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2025.112152
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-koller-2025-coping-competence,
author = {Koller, Katharina and Herold, Regina and Morawa, Eva and Erim, Yesim},
title = {Coping competence and health outcomes in post-COVID: A prospective study on the role of adaptive strategies in symptom management and physical and mental health.},
journal = {Journal of psychosomatic research},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychores.2025.112152},
note = {PubMed: 40446594},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/koller-2025-coping-competence},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/koller-2025-coping-competence
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