Online Therapy Helps Teens Recover From Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Give some teenagers access to the Internet, and they'll feel better.

That's the conclusion of a new study that found that teens with chronic fatigue syndrome who got six months of online behavioral therapy were far more likely to recover than those given care in person. "The use of Internet seems to appeal to modern youth reflected in our high participation rate (96 percent of eligible adolescents entered the study) and follow-up rates (97 percent)," said the lead researcher, Sanne Nijhof. In the study, 68 teenagers who had had chronic fatigue syndrome for almost two years were given access to cognitive behavioral therapy online. It's a form of therapy that teaches people to change how they think about and respond to situations. The therapy is effective in reducing the fatigue, joint pain, and poor memory and concentration of chronic fatigue syndrome when delivered in person.