Internet-delivered psychological therapy improves quality of life in persistent physical symptoms, trial finds

A randomised controlled trial (n=103) compared internet-delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, combined with individual case formulation, against treatment-as-usual for people with persistent physical symptoms and chronic fatigue [Primary Study]. Health-related quality of life improved significantly more in the intervention arm at nine-month follow-up.

The trial provides randomised evidence, at nine-month follow-up, for a remotely delivered psychological intervention model for a population — persistent physical symptoms — that is often difficult to serve well through conventional face-to-face pathways alone.

A remote delivery model of this kind could extend psychological support to patients facing geographical or mobility barriers to attending in-person appointments, but it assumes reliable broadband access and digital literacy on the part of participants — a precondition that cannot be assumed evenly across all patient populations.