Kuut, T A, Buffart, L M, Braamse, A M J et al. · Journal of psychosomatic research · 2024 · DOI
This study looked at whether cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) works differently for ME/CFS patients depending on whether they also have depression. The researchers combined data from six clinical trials with over 1,000 patients and found that for internet-based CBT, patients with depression improved less than those without depression. However, for face-to-face CBT (whether one-on-one or in groups), depression didn't seem to affect how much patients improved.
This research directly addresses an important clinical gap: understanding which ME/CFS patients benefit most from different CBT formats. For patients with both ME/CFS and depression—a common combination—the findings suggest choosing face-to-face CBT may lead to better outcomes, potentially improving treatment selection and patient outcomes.
This study does not prove that depression causes reduced CBT effectiveness; rather, it shows an association in internet-based treatment. The findings also do not address whether treating depression first might improve subsequent CBT outcomes, nor do they establish mechanisms explaining why depression moderates internet-based but not face-to-face CBT.
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
Kuut, T A, Buffart, L M, Braamse, A M J, Müller, F, & Knoop, H (2024). Is the effect of cognitive behaviour therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) moderated by the presence of comorbid depressive symptoms? A meta-analysis of three treatment delivery formats.. Journal of psychosomatic research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2024.111850
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-kuut-2024-effect-cognitive,
author = {Kuut, T A and Buffart, L M and Braamse, A M J and Müller, F and Knoop, H},
title = {Is the effect of cognitive behaviour therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) moderated by the presence of comorbid depressive symptoms? A meta-analysis of three treatment delivery formats.},
journal = {Journal of psychosomatic research},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychores.2024.111850},
note = {PubMed: 38970879},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/kuut-2024-effect-cognitive},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-27. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/kuut-2024-effect-cognitive
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