What does Cognitive Therapy Treat?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been demonstrated in hundreds of studies to be an effective treatment for a variety of disorders and problems for adults, older adults, children and adolescents. Below is a list of disorders for which CBT is effective for, followed by sources.
ADULTS
Research has shown that CBT is effective for the following disorders and problems:
-
Depression
- Geriatric Depression
- Relapse Prevention
-
Anxiety
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Geriatric Anxiety
- Panic Disorder
- Agoraphobia and Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia
- Social Anxiety / Social Phobia
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Trauma)
- Withdrawal from Anti-Anxiety Medications
- Dental Phobia
- Bipolar Disorder (in combination with medication)
- Schizophrenia (in combination with medication)
- Dissociative Disorders
- Suicide attempts
-
Eating Disorders
- Binge-eating disorder
- Bulimia
- Anorexia
- Body Dysmorphic Disorder (extreme dissatisfaction with body image)
- Somatization Disorder
-
Substance Abuse
- Alcohol abuse
- Cocaine abuse (CBT relapse prevention is effective)
- Opiate Dependence
- Smoking Cessation (Group CBT is effective, as well as CBT that has multiple treatment components, in combination with relapse prevention)
- Gambling (in combination with medication)
- Marital discord
- Anger
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Attention Deficit Disorder
- Atypical sexual practices/sex offenders
- Caregiver distress
- Habit disorders
-
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Medically related disorders:
- Chronic pain (CBT, in combination with physical therapy, is effective for chronic pain in many medical conditions)
- Chronic back pain
- Migraine headaches
- Non-cardiac chest pain
- Cancer pain
- Fatigue and functional impairments among cancer survivors
- Sickle cell disease pain (CBT that has multiple treatment components is effective)
- Physical complaints not explained by a medical condition (Somatoform disorders)
- Somatization Disorder
- Pain relating to a disease that has no known cause (Idiopathic pain)
- Hypochondriasis, or the unsubstantiated belief that one has a serious medical condition
- Irritable-bowel syndrome
- Obesity (CBT is effective in combination with hypnosis)
- Asthma with Coexisting Panic Disorder (in combination with asthma education)
- Rheumatic disease pain (CBT that has multiple treatment components is effective)
- Temporomandibular Disorder pain
- Erectile dysfunction (CBT is effective for reducing sexual anxiety and improving communication)
- Infertility (anovulation)
- Sleep disorders
- Geriatric sleep disorders
- Insomnia
- Vulvodynia (a chronic pain condition of the vulva)
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Pre-menstrual syndrome
- Hypertension (CBT is effective as an adjunctive treatment)
- Fibromyalgia
- Colitis
- Gulf War Syndrome
-
Tinnitus
CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
Research has shown that CBT is effective for the following disorders and problems:
- Depression (among adolescents and depressive symptoms among children)
-
Anxiety disorders
- Separation anxiety
- Avoidant disorder
- Overanxious disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Conduct disorder (oppositional defiant disorder)
- Distress due to medical procedures (mainly for cancer)
- Recurrent abdominal pain
- Physical complaints not explained by a medical condition (Somatoform disorders)
- Chronic pain
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY IS ALSO USED FOR:
- Stress
- Low self-esteem
- Relationship difficulties
- Group therapy
- Family therapy
- Psychiatric Inpatients
- Work problems & procrastination
- Separation and Divorce
- Grief and loss
- Aging
Main Sources:
Butler, A.C., Chapman, J.E., Forman, E.M., & Beck, A.T. (2006). The empirical status of cognitive-behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Clinical Psychology Review, 26(1), 17-31.
Chambless, D.L., & Ollendick, T. H. (2001). Empirically Supported Psychological Interventions: Controversies and Evidence. Annu. Rev. Psychol, 52, 685-716.