Chronic fatigue syndrome research is already too mired in politics. It is disappointing to see how poorly KCL has handled both the trial itself (post-hoc protocol changes, perhaps to make conclusions more significant) and their refusal to share data so others could verify their analysis.<p>It is also disappointing to watch how vigorously a vocal subset of CFS researchers and sufferers oppose and attack any research that touches on the possibility of psychiatric treatments possibly benefiting chronic fatigue syndrome sufferers. KCL&#x27;s poor behavior in refusing to release their data is only fanning the flames here, but the vigorous objections to CFS research that suggests cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is beneficial goes back much further than this study.<p>For some background, chronic fatigue syndrome has several different definitions, but many patients end up with a CFS diagnosis by exclusion of other therapies. This distorts the CFS community greatly, with many CFS community members not actually meeting the criteria for CFS. The PACE trial is a good example of this, with approximately 80% of the candidates excluded for various reasons (although obviously not all 80% were excluded strictly for failing to meet CFS criteria, but it&#x27;s still significant).<p>The problem is that many CFS sufferers, all of whom are suffering from very real physical fatigue and other physical symptoms, are very resistant to any suggestion that the disease has a psychiatric component or can be modified through mental health strategies. This objection runs so deep that researchers receive death threats for participating in studies exploring CBT for CFS, and online CFS forums are filled with vitriolic hate for any suggestion that CBT or other mental health strategies could possibly be effective. Meanwhile, studies (beyond just this PACE trial) have shown CBT to be one of the most effective options we have for CFS. It&#x27;s not a cure, but it does seem to help on average.<p>My point with this whole tangent is that chronic fatigue syndrome is so caught up in politics and resistance to certain ideas that most researchers don&#x27;t even want to touch the topic any more. I certainly wouldn&#x27;t want to research something if advocating the current best treatment option would result in death threats from sufferers. This is all very unfortunate, because instead of progress we&#x27;re left with situations like the PACE trial where both KCL and a lot of the critical researchers are refusing to play nice with each other, and instead we get nowhere. And of course, there is now even more reason for researchers to not touch CFS research.