Initial evidence for mind body retraining intervention ‘The Switch’ for those with idiopathic chronic fatigue

Objective To examine the feasibility and efficacy of The Switch intervention in individuals reporting idiopathic chronic fatigue (self-reported diagnosis of Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)/chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or long COVID) and to inform a clinical trial with power calculations.Methods Of 127 individuals, 104 (81.8%) met the inclusion criteria (self-reporting CFS/ME [n = 75] or long-COVID [n = 29]; aged 16 + who completed at least one Switch session). The 12-item Short-Form (SF-12) and Visual analogue scales (VAS) were completed pre-intervention, and 2- and 12-month post-intervention.Results One individual withdrew from the intervention. At least 77% of measures were completed at each assessment. All SF-12 scales except for social functioning improved significantly to 2-months (range p < .001–.001). Significant improvements continued to 12 months for Role Limitations-Physical (p = .005) and Emotional Functioning (p = .02). Format (zoom vs face-to-face) did not impact change (p > .05). A conservative power calculation suggests 36 participants would be required for a clinical trial.Conclusions The Switch shows promise as a feasible and effective intervention for those with idiopathic chronic fatigue. A randomised controlled trial with a small number of participants with verified diagnoses and more targeted outcome measures is the next step in establishing its effectiveness.