Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42547235›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2026

Randomised controlled trial assessing the efficacy of balance acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for post-COVID syndrome: a study protocol.

Nicole Carvalho, Michail Kalfas, Caroline Jolley, Gerrard F Rafferty, Oliver Pearson, Richard Emsley, Alan J Metcalfe, Barbara Barrett, Debbie Brewin, Lily Felton and 8 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06231238 (A Randomised Controlled Trial Assessing the Efficacy of Balance Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06231238 naactive not recruitingnot on this map

A Randomised Controlled Trial Assessing the Efficacy of Balance Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Long COVID.

TypeinterventionalSponsorKing's College LondonRan2024 to 2026Enrolled196ConditionsPost-COVID-19 Syndrome, Long COVIDArmsBalance Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Nicole CarvalhoDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-4659-0573
Michail KalfasDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3029-9149
Caroline JolleyCentre for Human and Applied Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3538-2451
Gerrard F RaffertyFaculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London Centre for Human & Applied Physiological Sciences, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9520-6500
Oliver PearsonKing's Clinical Trials Unit, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1149-9284
Richard EmsleyKing's Clinical Trials Unit, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1218-675X
Alan J MetcalfeCentre for Human and Applied Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6293-1706
Barbara BarrettDepartment of Health Service and Population Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0270-6256
Debbie BrewinDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-2182-6079
Lily FeltonDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-8492-0685
Tasbiha KhanDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-7419-7895
Nicholas HartCentre for Human and Applied Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6863-585X
Emma L DuncanSchool of Life Course & Population Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8143-4403
Timothy NicholsonInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Department of Psychosis Studies, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2350-2332
Oliver C WitardCentre for Human and Applied Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5875-8397
Rachael A EvansNIHR Biomedical Research Centre - Respiratory Theme, Division of Respiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1667-868X
Carole BeckwithDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Trudie ChalderDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK trudie.chalder@kcl.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0775-1045

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionPost-COVID syndrome (PCS) is an ongoing legacy of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Defined as symptoms persisting beyond 12 weeks following SARS-CoV-2 infection unexplained by an alternative diagnosis, many individuals continue to experience symptoms for months post-infection. Fatigue, breathlessness, cognitive difficulties and sleep disturbances are all commonly reported, frequently impairing daily functioning and quality of life. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which enhances psychological flexibility and supports values-based behaviour change, has shown effectiveness across long-term health conditions. This protocol describes the evaluation of METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A randomised controlled trial (RCT), co-developed with people with PCS, will evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of Balance-ACT for PCS. A total of 196 adults with PCS will be recruited from specialist long COVID services within secondary care across NHS organisations in England and randomised 1:1 to Balance-ACT or treatment as usual (TAU). ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval has been granted by the NHS Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee (reference 23/LO/0941). The study results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT06231238.

Indexed as

Acceptance and Commitment TherapyCOVID-19AdultBetacoronavirusCost-Benefit AnalysisFatigueHumansPandemicsPost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeQuality of LifeRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSARS-CoV-2FatiguePost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeQuality of LifeRandomized Controlled Trial

Identifiers

PMID42547235
PMCPMC13435911

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.