TACTIC (CBT/ACT for post covid), Buhrman et al

[mango]

(Not a recommendation, obviously. I'm sharing only for informational purposes.)

TACTIC is a study aiming to develop a cost-effective internet-based treatment for post covid, based on CBT and ACT.

Monica Buhrman, Uppsala University, Sweden.

Currently recruiting (January 2025).

https://www.uu.se/institution/psykologi/forskning/avdelningar/klinisk-psykologi/tactic

Auto-translated:

"Do you have residual symptoms after a COVID-19 infection, or long-lasting symptoms that started in connection with COVID-19? Would you like to share your experiences?

The current research study is looking for participants who recognise themselves in the picture of post-covid and who want to share their experiences to increase understanding of the condition. The results of the study will be used to develop internet-based treatment for post-covid.

Find out more about what participating in the study involves and register your interest here.

Information for research participants

We would like to ask you if you would like to take part in a research project. This document provides you with information about the project and what it means to take part.

What is the project and why do we want you to participate?

Between 10 and 40% of people experience persistent or new symptoms after COVID-19, known as post-COVID. Symptoms vary widely and can be both physical, such as pain or fatigue, and psychological, such as depression or anxiety.

Postcovid is a relatively unexplored condition. The aim of this project is to develop an accessible, individualised and cost-effective internet-based treatment for post-covid based on a variant of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

As a first step in the project, we want to know more about you as a post-covid sufferer, to better understand your symptoms and develop treatment accordingly.

The research principal for the project is Uppsala University. Research principal means the organisation that is responsible for the project. The research is approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority, the registration number for the review at the Ethical Review Authority is 2024-04666-01.

How does the project work?

Participating in the project involves answering a series of questions in an online survey. The survey consists mostly of multiple choice questions on several different topics: background information about you and your social situation, how you were affected by the COVID-19 infection itself, what problems you have from post-COVID, what treatment you have received for post-COVID and how you experienced it, your mental well-being and your level of functioning. The survey ends with two free text questions where you have the opportunity to share your thoughts about your condition and what type of treatment you think you would need. The survey is estimated to take between 25 and 40 minutes to complete.

Possible consequences and risks of participating in the project

Filling in a lot of questions can be stressful but there is no evidence that it is harmful. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us. Data collection involves a security aspect regarding how your data is stored and what data we access, see below. [...]"

 

[Utsikt]

Filling in a lot of questions can be stressful but there is no evidence that it is harmful.

Blatant lie.

 

[CorAnd]

Imagine the honor, the privilege and the immense good fortune to work at Uppsala University, and use that to literally shit all over the suffering of Long Covid patients!

Has this person been living under a rock? Hasn’t she bothered to delve into Post Covid research? Hasn’t she done her homework on related diseases such as as ME/CFS?

This is not science. It’s stupidity and hubris. Money down the drain. Money that is desperately needed to find real treatments for a devastating disease that destroys people’s lives.

The injustice of it all is crushing me. I can’t take it!!!!!

 

[CorAnd]

If Buhrman had an ounce of integrity she’d donate her research money to Jonas Bergquist.

Or to the Swedish Post Covid Association who are doing an amazing job advocating for patients’ rights.

Or to Chris Ponting’s team. I honestly believe that even buying coffee and pastries for Ponting’s team for a year would actually help post-infectious diseases research MORE than another paper on CBT.

 

[mango]

Dr Lisa Norén from the Swedish Covid Association left a comment on one of Uppsala University's Facebook posts about the study a few weeks ago:

The Swedish Covid Association was asked to spread info about this study in our channels. This is what we replied:

‘We believe that the study is important because ACT is what is already offered to many post-covid patients today (often as the only treatment), despite the lack of evidence for this condition.

It is a very wise idea to have a patient representative in the research group, we will return with a name shortly.
However, our contribution is that it would probably have been helpful to have this representation in place already when you start designing and preparing a study and the various elements to be included in it.

In this case, we see that it is both a very long questionnaire and has content that seems strange for the patient group. We have therefore decided that we will not disseminate it in our channels.’

‘We hope that in the future Uppsala University will be better at involving patients from the start, not just asking us for help when the study starts. We can also provide valuable input when it comes to interpreting the results, and give suggestions on how to make or not make statements about them.

@MittEremltage mentions this in her most recent blog post:

Ett förtydligande om pågående studier
https://mitteremitage.wordpress.com/2025/02/20/ett-fortydligande-om-pagaende-studier/

(Edited to add Norén's title, she's a physician.)