Dr Mark Vink and Alexandra Vink-Niese published an article which highlighted the complexities and biological abnormalities of ME/CFS, for example in relation to “immunological and inflammatory pathways, autonomic and neurological dysfunction, … cellular energy production and … gene expression.” They emphasise that extensive research has demonstrated the ineffectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET) as treatments for ME/CFS and challenge the misconception that the condition stems from dysfunctional beliefs, avoidance behaviour, and deconditioning.
The researchers analyse ME/CFS and long COVID studies involving CBT and GET that they state actually provide evidence of the physical nature of these conditions. They also explore why awareness of the ineffectiveness of CBT and GET remains limited, citing factors such as resistance to change, and thus misinterpretation of findings, amongst researchers who built their careers on the deconditioning model. They also argue that many CBT/GET studies were conducted by mental health professionals without expertise in exercise physiology, leading to flawed conclusions.
Read Vink and Vink-Niese’s previous article on why CBT is not an effective treatment for ME/CFS
