Prins, J B, Bleijenberg, G · Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry · 1999 · DOI
This study followed one 26-year-old woman with ME/CFS who received cognitive behavior therapy (CBT)—a type of talk therapy focused on changing unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors. Over 33 months, she worked with therapists on topics like building a sense of control, managing physical activity carefully, and reducing worry about her body. By the end, her fatigue and ability to function improved significantly, moving from very severe to levels similar to healthy people.
This study provides detailed clinical evidence that CBT based on established ME/CFS models can lead to meaningful improvement in some patients. For patients considering CBT, it offers a concrete example of how the therapy works in practice and what recovery might look like over time. It supports continued investigation of psychological and behavioral interventions as part of comprehensive ME/CFS treatment.
This single case study cannot prove that CBT works for all ME/CFS patients or identify which patients are most likely to benefit. It does not establish whether improvements were due to CBT specifically, natural recovery, placebo effects, or other unmeasured factors. Results from one patient cannot be generalized to the broader ME/CFS population.
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 →
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