ME suffering 'prolonged by self-help groups'

Patients who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome, also known also as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), do less well if they join a self-help group for sufferers, according to a small survey in the BMJ. Prolonged impairment and symptoms were linked with emotional disorder, belief in a viral cause, avoiding exercise and alcohol, and membership of a self-help group, according to researchers in the Department of Psychiatry at Oxford University.