Long-term outcomes of an integrative rehabilitation program on quality of life: a follow-up study.

Objective: To assess the long-term effects of an integrative rehabilitation program on the overall quality of life of individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Methods: This study utilized a within-subjects, repeated measures cohort design. Twenty-three subjects diagnosed with CFS attended eight sessions of an illness-management group followed by 7 months of goal-oriented, individualized counseling that occurred once weekly for 30 min per session. Quality of life was assessed at five time points (baseline, following the group phase, following the one-on-one phase, and 4 and 12 months following program completion).

Results: A within-subjects repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant increases in overall quality of life for up to 1 year following program completion [F(4, 21)=23.5, P<.001].

Conclusions: Definitive conclusions about program efficacy are limited by design issues. However, findings suggest that the program may have led to improvement in quality of life for up to 1 year following program completion.