Maas Genannt Bermpohl, Frederic, Kucharczyk-Bodenburg, Ann-Cathrin, Martin, Alexandra · International journal of behavioral medicine · 2024 · DOI
This review analyzed 15 studies involving over 2,000 people with ME/CFS who received cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)—a talk therapy that helps change thinking patterns and behavior. The results show that CBT helped reduce fatigue, depression, and anxiety compared to control groups, with benefits lasting at least several months after treatment ended. Most people who started CBT stayed in the program and completed their sessions, suggesting the treatment is acceptable to patients.
This updated meta-analysis provides robust evidence that CBT produces measurable improvements in core ME/CFS symptoms and is well-tolerated by patients, helping clinicians and patients make informed decisions about treatment. The emphasis on treatment acceptability (drop-out rates) addresses a critical gap in previous research and demonstrates that CBT is not only effective but also sustainable for most people who undertake it.
This meta-analysis does not establish that CBT works equally well for all ME/CFS subtypes or severity levels, nor does it prove CBT addresses underlying biological mechanisms of the condition. The study cannot determine whether observed improvements result from specific therapeutic components or non-specific factors like attention and support. Long-term follow-up data beyond post-treatment remain limited, so durability beyond measured intervals is unclear.
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
Maas Genannt Bermpohl, Frederic, Kucharczyk-Bodenburg, Ann-Cathrin, & Martin, Alexandra (2024). Efficacy and Acceptance of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Adults with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Meta-analysis.. International journal of behavioral medicine. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-023-10254-2
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-maas-genannt-bermpohl-2024-efficacy-acceptance,
author = {Maas Genannt Bermpohl, Frederic and Kucharczyk-Bodenburg, Ann-Cathrin and Martin, Alexandra},
title = {Efficacy and Acceptance of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Adults with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Meta-analysis.},
journal = {International journal of behavioral medicine},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.1007/s12529-023-10254-2},
note = {PubMed: 38228869},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/maas-genannt-bermpohl-2024-efficacy-acceptance},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/maas-genannt-bermpohl-2024-efficacy-acceptance
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