Fatigue as a transdiagnostic symptom dimension – Novel approaches to assessment and treatment in primary care

Exhaustion disorder (ED, utmattningssyndrom) is one of the most common and costly mental disorders in Swedish primary care. However, the validity of ED is debated and there are no evidence-based treatments. The core of ED - fatigue - is common across a range of disorders.

Recent advances in international research indicate that fatigue is best understood as a transdiagnostic symptom dimension rather than a diagnosis-specific pathology.

This paves the way for new, potentially more effective, approaches to assessment and treatment.The purpose of this project is to increase knowledge of fatigue as a transdiagnostic symptom in primary care patients and to build evidence for a highly accessible transdiagnostic treatment for fatigue.

Consecutively recruited primary care patients (N=500) with fatigue will be included in a multicenter randomized controlled trial and receive internet-delivered transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral therapy adjunct to care as usual, or care as usual only.

Primary outcome will be change in fatigue severity (pre-post treatment) with controlled follow-ups up to 2-years from baseline.

Moderators and mechanisms of treatment effect, and cost-effectiveness, will be analyzed.This project has the potential to build solid evidence for an accessible, cost-effective treatment of fatigue that can be readily implemented in primary care.

Results will contribute to development of guidelines for assessment and treatment of fatigue, and better use of healthcare resources.