Multiprofessional Inpatient ME/CFS Treatment

Prof. Haas presented a current multidisciplinary inpatient treatment concept for children and adolescents with ME/CFS. The program was launched in 2019, and since 2020, 6 young patients with ME/CFS or PCS (up to 25 years of age) are being treated at any time. The first central step of the program is a comprehensive diagnosis in order to select suitable patients for the five-week inpatient stay. Individual and group therapies include e.g. the transfer of knowledge about Pacing, sleep hygiene, dealing with pain and an individualized analysis of energy consumption and gain. Therapy goals are to build resilience and self-efficacy and to learn everyday Pacing. The primary goal of the stay is that the patients and their families are not overburdened. At the end of the stay, those affected showed an average improvement, 4 months later, however, a re-deterioration in some cases ccured. Prof. Haas emphasized that it is not usually possible to cure ME/CFS with a five-week hospital stay, but that improvement in symptoms is possible.