Tilman and Bettina Grande, with the support of Fatigatio, the German ME/CFS Society, and the WE&ME Foundation (formerly TEMPI Foundation), have published the following article: https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/59/4/719
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a post-infectious, chronic disease syndrome that can lead to severe impairment and complete disability. Although the disease has been known for a long time and has been coded in the ICD (G93.3), medical research has not yet reached a consensus on its physiological basis and the best treatment.
Against the backdrop of these shortcomings, psychosomatic disease models were developed and psychotherapeutic treatments derived from them; however, empirical testing of these models has led to sobering results.
According to current research, psychotherapy and psychosomatic rehabilitation have no curative effect in the treatment of ME/CFS. Nevertheless, in practices and outpatient clinics, we see numerous patients who suffer greatly from their illness and whose psychological well-being and coping strategies would benefit from psychotherapeutic help.
In this article, we outline a psychotherapeutic approach that addresses this need and takes into account two fundamental characteristics of ME/CFS: first, the fact that ME/CFS is a physical illness and therefore curative treatment must be physical in nature, and second, the fact that post-exertional malaise (PEM) is a major symptom of ME/CFS and therefore deserves tailored psychotherapeutic treatment.
