Following Olympian Beth Dobbin’s appeal for increased research funding for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), supported by over 500 figures from the world of sport, I have organised an open letter inviting UK Chartered and HCPC-registered psychologists to add their voices.
As a psychologist who has also lived with ME, this is both a professional and personal concern.
ME is a serious, disabling illness whose causes and mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Yet, for decades, psychological and behavioural explanations have often been advanced beyond the available evidence. This has contributed to misunderstanding, inappropriate treatment and the dismissal of patients’ experiences.
Psychology has an important contribution to make in supporting people living with chronic illness. Psychological support and medical care can be complementary, but psychological support is not a substitute for biomedical investigation, appropriate medical care or effective treatments.
Our letter calls for sustained and substantially increased investment in biomedical ME research, including the remaining funding sought for the Sequence ME and Long Covid study and a properly funded, long-term research programme.
If you are a UK Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol) and/or HCPC-registered Practitioner Psychologist, or previously held either status before retirement (including medical retirement), I invite you to read and sign the letter. Signatures are made in an individual professional capacity, and professional status will be checked before names are published.
If you are not eligible to sign, you can still help by sharing the letter with psychologists in your networks. People with ME deserve to be heard, believed and supported by the best science available.
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