In search of a new balance. Can high “action-proneness” in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome be changed by a multidisciplinary group treatment?

Perspectives of Time and Occupation: Experiences of People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

“…Understanding the entrainment of individuals' activity patterns and time may improve the success of interventions (Van Houdenhove, Bruyninckx, & Luyten, 2006) or have a preventative function. The NICE Guidelines (2007) and later studies such as the PACE Trial (White et al, 2011) have identified that activity management strategies, provided though graded exercise or cognitive behavioural therapy approaches, can be effective for some people.…”

“…For some participants, the process of being active was more important than the type of occupation undertaken. This may influence the choices that people with CFS/ME make in constructing their daily occupations, and consequently how they engage in modifying their routines though intervention (Van Houdenhove et al, 2006). There is also the impact that acceleration could have upon the perceived value of occupations that require more time to complete.…”

The role of acceptance in chronic fatigue syndrome

“…Systematic reviews have shown CBT to be effective in improving functioning and reducing fatigue in CFS patients [5]. CBT, along with Graded Exercise Therapy, has also been shown in a non randomised trial to significantly improve "action-proneness" (cognitive and behavioural tendency towards direct action), although not to pre-morbid levels [6].…”

Chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome: pathogenesis and measurement scales

“…The criticism could be made that most of these studies consider a single dimension (e.g., how mood or sleep impact or relate to CFS). Two papers in this issue explore issues as diverse as natural killer cell activity (NKCA) [1] and a concept referred to as baction pronenessQ [2], and how these biological and psychological functions alter or are altered by CFS.…”

“…Van Houdenhove et al [2] showed that action proneness, which is high in patients prior to the onset of CFS, can be modified by cognitive-behavioral therapy and physical (graded exercise) interventions and can be potentially adjusted to a midpoint of what may be seen as an overdrive prior to the onset of CFS and an underdrive with the onset of the disorder. The paper gives support to the validity of the two interventions and raises key issues of bburnout Q in fatigue and, while not explicitly stated, there is the possibility that, for some individuals, there is the vacillation between low action and high action (a lack of gain control), which acts as a perpetuating factor for the fatigue.…”