Despite stress being central to human development, the focus is often on the negative aspects of stress.
A new thesis at Uppsala University in Sweden questions the traditional view of stress-induced fatigue disorder and introduces a new model that focuses more on meaningfulness rather than recovery.
“There are no established evidence-based models for the psychological treatment of stress-induced fatigue disorder. Jacob Clasen van de Leur, of the Department of Psychology at Uppsala University, said the concepts of 'recovery' and 'stress' are so widely accepted in our current era that it is difficult to examine them critically.
It's easy to think that patients with stress-related fatigue should prioritize rest and relaxation.
"But an overly one-sided focus on recovery can lead to a passive existence that is easy to get stuck in and can be harmful over time," Van de Leur said.
They have followed 915 patients with stress-related fatigue who have participated in comprehensive rehabilitation programs including medical, psychological and physiotherapeutic methods.
Although the results are positive, he said the approach is relatively ineffective overall.
“When I started the treatment lasted a year – now we are working on a 12-week digital programme,” said Van de Leur.
Despite being a small study, "the results show similar effects to our previous six-month treatment program, using only a quarter of the clinical resources. This means more patients in the health care system Treatment can be made available," the researchers explained.
A new thesis at Uppsala University in Sweden questions the traditional view of stress-induced fatigue disorder and introduces a new model that focuses more on meaningfulness rather than recovery.
“There are no established evidence-based models for the psychological treatment of stress-induced fatigue disorder. Jacob Clasen van de Leur, of the Department of Psychology at Uppsala University, said the concepts of 'recovery' and 'stress' are so widely accepted in our current era that it is difficult to examine them critically.
It's easy to think that patients with stress-related fatigue should prioritize rest and relaxation.
"But an overly one-sided focus on recovery can lead to a passive existence that is easy to get stuck in and can be harmful over time," Van de Leur said.
They have followed 915 patients with stress-related fatigue who have participated in comprehensive rehabilitation programs including medical, psychological and physiotherapeutic methods.
Although the results are positive, he said the approach is relatively ineffective overall.
“When I started the treatment lasted a year – now we are working on a 12-week digital programme,” said Van de Leur.
Despite being a small study, "the results show similar effects to our previous six-month treatment program, using only a quarter of the clinical resources. This means more patients in the health care system Treatment can be made available," the researchers explained.
