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A study conducted by researchers at the Karolinska Institute compared two types of mental health treatments for fibromyalgia patients. The study compared traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with exposure-based CBT, two popular forms of talk therapy.
In traditional CBT, patients receive various treatment strategies, such as relaxation, exercise, and ways to manage negative thoughts. On the other hand, exposure-based CBT involves patients being repeatedly exposed to situations and activities they tend to avoid due to pain, anxiety, or symptoms like fatigue.
Surprisingly, the study found that traditional CBT was nearly as effective as exposure-based CBT in treating fibromyalgia. The researchers evaluated results from over 270 people with fibromyalgia. They were randomly assigned to online treatment with either traditional or exposure-based CBT. Researchers were initially expecting the exposure-based form to be more effective based on previous research.
Both forms of CBT were associated with a significant reduction in participants' symptoms and functional impairment. After 10 weeks, 60% of those receiving exposure-based CBT and 59% of those with traditional CBT reported that their treatment had helped. The positive outcomes were sustained for 12 months after completing the treatment.
The researchers emphasized that the study's findings are significant because they suggest that internet-based treatments, including traditional CBT, can provide clinical benefits for people with fibromyalgia. This accessibility is particularly important as it enables more individuals to access effective treatment, such as talk therapy. The study is noted as the second-largest to compare these therapies for fibromyalgia.
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