What is the Evidence Base for Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy?

Cognitive behaviour therapy is collaborative with the client being seen as a partner in the therapeutic process with shared information and decision making. The approach of has been developed over the past 30 years and tested in randomised controlled trials and other empirical research methods. It therefore has a substantial evidence base and has been advanced as the treatment of choice for many psychological difficulties such as depression, anxiety, phobias, panic, obsessive compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders and as an adjunctive treatment in psychosis and substance misuse problems.

A Perusal through psychology and mental health journals such as Cognitive Therapy and Research Behaviour Therapy, Behaviour Research and Therapy, as well as more general psychiatric, psychological, nursing and medical journals, will confirm this (see the menu bar for a selection). The strength of cognitive behaviour therapy is also its broad application in many clinical settings, not just psychiatric, and with many different client groups, at different levels of expertise by a variety of professionals and non professionals alike.

Further Reading

NHS Executive. Psychotherapy services in England. London: HMSO, 1996.

Roth A, Fonagy P. What works for whom? New York: Guilford, 1996.

Department of Health. National service framework for mental health. London: HMSO, 2000.

Department of Health. The national plan. London: HMSO, 2000.

Department of Health. Treatment choice in psychological therapies and counselling. London: HMSO, 2001.