Journal: J Clin Psychol. 2009 Nov 9. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Jason LA, Roesner N, Porter N, Parenti B, Mortensen J, Till L.
Affiliation: DePaul University.
NLM Citation: PMID: 19902489
The present study evaluated a buddy program designed to provide
support for individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
The intervention involved weekly visits by a student
paraprofessional, who helped out with tasks that needed to be done in
an effort to reduce some of the taxing demands and responsibilities
that participants regularly encountered. This model of rehabilitation
focused on avoiding overexertion in persons with CFS, aiming to avoid
setbacks and relapses while increasing their tolerance for activity.
Participants with CFS were randomly assigned to either a 4-month
buddy intervention or a control condition. Posttest results showed
that individuals who received a student buddy intervention had
significantly greater reductions in fatigue severity and increases in
vitality than individuals in the control condition. There were no
significant changes between groups for physical functioning and stress.
Buddy interventions that help patients with CFS reduce overexertion
and possibly remain within their energy envelopes can be thought of
as representing a different paradigm than nonpharmacologic
interventions that focus only on increasing levels of activity
through graded exercise.
(c) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 66:1-10, 2010.
---------------------------------------------
Send posts to CO-CURE@listserv.nodak.edu
Unsubscribe at http://www.co-cure.org/unsub.htm
Co-Cure Archives: http://listserv.nodak.edu/archives/co-cure.html
---------------------------------------------
Co-Cure's purpose is to provide information from across the spectrum of
opinion concerning medical, research and political aspects of ME/CFS and/or
FMS. We take no position on the validity of any specific scientific or
political opinion expressed in Co-Cure posts, and we urge readers to
research the various opinions available before assuming any one
interpretation is definitive. The Co-Cure website <www.co-cure.org> has a
link to our complete archive of posts as well as articles of central
importance to the issues of our community.
---------------------------------------------
