Cognitive behavioral therapy is a promising treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), but its availability is restricted. This open label study investigated the effectiveness of the first dedicated internet-based therapeutic program for adolescents with CFS [Fatigue In Teenagers on the interNET (FITNET)]. Adolescents aged 12-18 years with CFS were randomly assigned to FITNET or usual care in a 1:1 ratio at one tertiary treatment centre in the Netherlands. Primary outcomes of school attendance, fatigue severity, and physical functioning were assessed at six months of full school attendance. Sixty-eight of 135 adolescents were assigned to FITNET and 67 to usual care, and 67 and 64, respectively, were analyzed. FITNET was significantly more effective than usual care for all dichotomized primary outcomes (75% vs 16%; RR 4.8; 95% CI 2.7-8.9; p<0.0001), absence of severe fatigue (85% vs 27%; RR 3.2; 95% CI 2.1-4.9; p<0.0001), and normal physical functioning (78% vs 20%; RR 3.8; 95% CI 2.3-6.3; p<0.0001). No serious adverse events were reported. The authors concluded that FITNET offers a readily accessible and highly effective treatment for adolescents with CFS and that these results justify its implementation on a broader scale. Lancet. 2012 Feb 29. PMID: 22385683.
