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. 2017 Nov 13;17(15):1–167.

Table 1a:

Summary of Results: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Indication Results
Major Depressive Disorder
Symptoms, Treatment Response, Remission CBT vs. control (usual care, clinical management, or wait list)
Cuijpers et al20

  • Posttreatment MDD scores: SMD = 0.75 (95% CI: 0.64–0.87)


Linde et al21(primary care patients)

  • Posttreatment MDD scores: SMD = −0.30 (95% CI: −0.48 to −0.13)

  • Response (≥ 50% score reduction on MDD scale): OR = 1.58 (95% CI: 1.11–2.26)

  • Remission (symptom score below a fixed threshold): OR = 1.49 (95% CI: 0.90–2.46)


Churchill et al22

  • Posttreatment MDD scores: SMD = −1.0 (95% CI: −1.35 to −0.64)

  • Posttreatment recoverya: OR = 3.42 (95% CI: 1.98–5.93)

  • Mean differences (symptoms) at follow-up:

    • ∘

      1 month: SMD = −1.20 (95% CI: −2.10 to −0.31)

    • ∘

      2 months: SMD = −0.73 (95% CI: −1.80 to 0.33)

    • ∘

      3 months: SMD = −0.36 (95% CI: −0.68 to −0.04)

    • ∘

      6 months: SMD = −0.73 (95% CI: −1.50 to 0.03)

  • Individual versus group CBT

    • ∘

      Posttreatment recovery: OR = 1.98 (95% CI: 1.11–3.54)

    • ∘

      Posttreatment mean difference (symptoms): WMD = −3.07 (95% CI: −4.69 to −1.45)
ADM + CBT vs. CBT only (acute treatment)
Karyotaki et al35

  • Response ≥ 6 months: OR = 1.51 (95% CI: 0.79–2.86)

  • Response ≥ 1 year: OR = 1.48 (95% CI: 0.59–3.71)
ADM + CBT vs. ADM only (acute treatment)
Karyotaki et al35

  • Response ≥ 6 months: OR = 3.02 (95% CI: 1.74–5.25)

  • Response ≥ 1 year: OR = 3.37 (95% CI: 1.38–8.21)
ADM + CBT vs. ADM only (maintenance treatment)
Karyotaki et al35

  • Response ≥ 6 months: OR = 1.79 (95% CI: 1.19–2.70)
SGA vs. CBT
Amick et al36

  • Response: Risk ratio = 0.91 (95% CI: 0.77–1.07)

  • Remission: Risk ratio = 0.98 (95% CI: 0.73–1.32)
SGA only vs. SGA + CBT
Amick et al36

  • Response: Risk ratio = 1.03 (95% CI: 0.85–1.26)

  • Remission: Risk ratio = 1.06 (95% CI: 0.82–1.38)


Acute CBT (without continuation CBT) vs. acute ADM (with continued ADM)
Cuijpers et al37

  • Response (and remained well at 1 year): OR = 1.62 (95% CI: 0.97–2.72)
Acute CBT (without continuation CBT) vs. acute ADM (discontinued at follow-up)
Cuijpers et al37

  • Response (and remained well at 1 year): OR = 2.61 (95% CI: 1.58–4.31)
Relapse/Recurrence CBT vs control (usual care, clinical management, or wait list)
Biescheuvel-Leliefeld et al29

  • CBT vs. usual care: Risk ratio = 0.68 (95% CI: 0.65–0.87)

  • CBT vs. ADM: Risk ratio = 0.79 (95% CI: 0.61–1.02)


Clarke et al30

  • CBT vs. usual care

    • ∘

      At 12 months: Risk ratio = 0.75 (95% CI: 0.64–0.89)

    • ∘

      At 24 months: Risk ratio = 0.72 (95% CI: 0.57–0.91)


Guidi et al31

  • CBT vs. usual care: Risk ratio = 0.78 (95% CI: 0.67–0.91)
Adverse Events Not reported
Quality of Life Not reported
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Symptoms, Treatment Response, Remission Compared with control (usual care, clinical management, or wait list)
Cuijpers et al20

  • GAD symptom score posttreatment: SMD = 0.80 (95% CI: 0.67–0.93)


Cuijpers et al53

  • GAD symptom score posttreatment: SMD = 0.90 (95% CI: 0.75–1.05)


Hunot et al11

  • GAD symptom score posttreatment: SMD = −1.00 (95% CI: −1.24 to −0.77)

  • Clinical response posttreatment: Risk ratio = 0.64 (95% CI: 0.55–0.74)
Relapse/Recurrence Not reported
Adverse Events Not reported
Quality of Life Compared with control (usual care, clinical management, or wait list)
Hunot et al11
Improvement in quality-of-life score: SMD = 0.44 (95% CI: 0.06–0.82)

Abbreviations: ADM, antidepressant medication; BDI, Beck Depression Inventory; CBT, cognitive behavioural therapy; CI, confidence interval; GAD, generalized anxiety disorder; HDRS, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale; MDD, major depressive disorder; OR, odds ratio; SGA, second-generation antidepressant; SMD, standardized mean difference; WMD, weighted mean difference.

a

Defined by Churchill et al as no longer having a clinically meaningful level of depression (as measured by a BDI score < 10 or an HDRS score < 6).22