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People with long COVID significantly reduced their fatigue after completing 17 weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy, compared to people with similar long COVID fatigue levels who didn't participate in therapy, a new study shows.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is a structured talk therapy approach in which a trained therapist helps a person become aware of their own perspective and learn to change how they respond to situations and challenges.

Led by researchers from Amsterdam University Medical Center, the study followed 114 people in The Netherlands who had experienced severe fatigue for at least 3 months after being infected with COVID. Half of the patients were randomly assigned to participate in 17 weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy focused on their fatigue, and the other participants received no special intervention and just continued their usual care for long COVID. People in the study who were assigned to CBT could do online or in-person therapy.

The researchers tailored the therapy plan to the specific aspects of fatigue associated with long COVID. Head over to Medscape to read the full story.