Select Research Articles

More than 2,000 studies have demonstrated the efficacy of CBT for psychiatric disorders, psychological problems and medical problems with a psychiatric component. Below you’ll find a collection of peer-reviewed articles demonstrating the efficacy of CBT for just a few of the conditions it can help treat. Full text links are included where available. Some articles may only be accessible through your institution’s library.

DeRubeis, R. J., Hollon, S. D., Amsterdam, J. D., Shelton, R. C., Young, P. R., Salomon, R. M., … & Gallop, R. (2005). Cognitive therapy vs medications in the treatment of moderate to severe depression. Archives of general psychiatry62(4), 409-416.

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Hollon, S. D., DeRubeis, R. J., Shelton, R. C., Amsterdam, J. D., Salomon, R. M., O’Reardon, J. P., … & Gallop, R. (2005). Prevention of relapse following cognitive therapy vs medications in moderate to severe depression. Archives of general psychiatry62(4), 417-422.

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Huijbers, M. J., Wentink, C., & Speckens, A. E. (2019). Preventive cognitive therapy could be a viable and effective addition to antidepressant medication in preventing relapse or recurrence in major depressive disorder. Evidence-based mental health22(1), e7-e7.

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Simons, A. D., Padesky, C. A., Montemarano, J., Lewis, C. C., Murakami, J., Lamb, K., DeVinney, S., Reid, M., Smith, D. A., & Beck, A. T. (2010). Training and dissemination of cognitive behavior therapy for depression in adults: A preliminary examination of therapist competence and client outcomes. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78(5), 751–756.

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Zhang, Z., Zhang, L., Zhang, G., Jin, J., & Zheng, Z. (2018). The effect of CBT and its modifications for relapse prevention in major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC psychiatry, 18(1), 50.

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Piet, J., & Hougaard, E. (2011). The effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for prevention of relapse in recurrent major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical psychology review, 31(6), 1032–1040.

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Li JM, Zhang Y, Su WJ, Liu LL, Gong H, Peng W, Jiang CL. (2018). Cognitive behavioral therapy for treatment-resistant depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res. 2018 Oct;268:243-250.

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Ponniah, K., & Hollon, S. D. (2008). Empirically supported psychological interventions for social phobia in adults: a qualitative review of randomized controlled trials. Psychological medicine, 38(1), 3–14.

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Dugas, M. J., Brillon, P., Savard, P., Turcotte, J., Gaudet, A., Ladouceur, R., Leblanc, R., & Gervais, N. J. (2010). A randomized clinical trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy and applied relaxation for adults with generalized anxiety disorder. Behavior therapy, 41(1), 46–58.

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Kaczkurkin, A. N., & Foa, E. B. (2015). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 17(3), 337–346.

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Olatunji, B. O., Davis, M. L., Powers, M. B., & Smits, J. A. (2012). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A meta-analysis of treatment outcome and moderators. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 47, 33-41.

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Hofmann, S. G., Moscovitch, D. A., Kim, H.-J. & Taylor, A. N. (2004). Changes in self-perception during treatment of social phobia. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 72, 588–596

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Bakhshani, N. M., Lashkaripour, K., & Sadjadi, S. A. (2007). Effectiveness of short term cognitive behavior therapy in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. J Med Sci, 7(7), 1076-1081.

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Öst, L. G., Havnen, A., Hansen, B., & Kvale, G. (2015). Cognitive behavioral treatments of obsessive-compulsive disorder. A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published 1993-2014. Clinical psychology review, 40, 156–169.

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Carpenter, J. K., Andrews, L. A., Witcraft, S. M., Powers, M. B., Smits, J., & Hofmann, S. G. (2018). Cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and related disorders: A meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials. Depression and anxiety, 35(6), 502–514.  

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Davidson, K., Norrie, J., Tyrer, P., Gumley, A., Tata, P., Murray, H., & Palmer, S. (2006). The effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy for borderline personality disorder: results from the borderline personality disorder study of cognitive therapy (BOSCOT) trial. Journal of personality disorders, 20(5), 450–465.

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Emmelkamp, P. M., Benner, A., Kuipers, A., Feiertag, G. A., Koster, H. C., & van Apeldoorn, F. J. (2006). Comparison of brief dynamic and cognitive–behavioural therapies in avoidant personality disorder. The british journal of psychiatry, 189(1), 60-64.

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Matusiewicz, A. K., Hopwood, C. J., Banducci, A. N., & Lejuez, C. W. (2010). The effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for personality disorders. The Psychiatric clinics of North America, 33(3), 657–685.

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Cottraux, J., Note, I. D., Boutitie, F., Milliery, M., Genouihlac, V., Yao, S. N., Note, B., Mollard, E., Bonasse, F., Gaillard, S., Djamoussian, D., Guillard, C., Culem, A., & Gueyffier, F. (2009). Cognitive therapy versus Rogerian supportive therapy in borderline personality disorder. Two-year follow-up of a controlled pilot study. Psychotherapy and psychosomatics, 78(5), 307–316.

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Weinberg, I., Gunderson J.G., Hennen J. & Cutter, C.J. (2006) Manual assisted cognitive treatment for deliberate self-harm in borderline personality disorder. Journal of Personality Disorders, 20, 482-492.

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Svartberg, M., Stiles, T. C., & Seltzer, M. H. (2004). Randomized, controlled trial of the effectiveness of short-term dynamic psychotherapy and cognitive therapy for cluster C personality disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 161, 810-817.

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Leichsenring, F., & Leibing, E. (2003). The effectiveness of psychodynamic therapy and cognitive behavior therapy in the treatment of personality disorders: a meta-analysis. The American journal of psychiatry, 160(7), 1223–1232.

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Weinbrecht, A., Schulze, L., Boettcher, J., & Renneberg, B. (2016). Avoidant Personality Disorder: a Current Review. Current psychiatry reports, 18(3), 29.

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Marques, S., Barrocas, D., & Rijo, D. (2017). Intervenções Psicológicas na Perturbação Borderline da Personalidade: Uma Revisão das Terapias de Base Cognitivo-Comportamental [Psychological Treatments for Borderline Personality Disorder: A Review of Cognitive-Behavioral Oriented Therapies]. Acta medica portuguesa, 30(4), 307–319.

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McHugh, R. K., Hearon, B. A., & Otto, M. W. (2010). Cognitive behavioral therapy for substance use disorders. The Psychiatric clinics of North America, 33(3), 511–525.

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Magill, M., Ray, L., Kiluk, B., Hoadley, A., Bernstein, M., Tonigan, J. S., & Carroll, K. (2019). A meta-analysis of cognitive-behavioral therapy for alcohol or other drug use disorders: Treatment efficacy by contrast condition. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 87(12), 1093–1105.

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Hogue, A., Henderson, C. E., Becker, S. J., & Knight, D. K. (2018). Evidence Base on Outpatient Behavioral Treatments for Adolescent Substance Use, 2014-2017: Outcomes, Treatment Delivery, and Promising Horizons. Journal of clinical child and adolescent psychology: the official journal for the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, American Psychological Association, Division 53, 47(4), 499–526. 

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Gregory, V. L., Jr, & Ellis, R. (2020). Cognitive-behavioral therapy and buprenorphine for opioid use disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse, 46(5), 520–530.

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Barry, D. T., Beitel, M., Cutter, C. J., Fiellin, D. A., Kerns, R. D., Moore, B. A., Oberleitner, L., Madden, L. M., Liong, C., Ginn, J., & Schottenfeld, R. S. (2019). An evaluation of the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy for opioid use disorder and chronic pain. Drug and alcohol dependence, 194, 460–467.

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Get training in CBT for substance use disorders.
Baker N. (2016). Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Mindfulness Techniques in the Management of Chronic Pain in Primary Care. Primary care, 43(2), 203–216.

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Ehde, D. M., Dillworth, T. M., & Turner, J. A. (2014). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for individuals with chronic pain: efficacy, innovations, and directions for research. The American psychologist, 69(2), 153–166.

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Zgierska, A. E., Burzinski, C. A., Cox, J., Kloke, J., Stegner, A., Cook, D. B., Singles, J., Mirgain, S., Coe, C. L., & Bačkonja, M. (2016). Mindfulness Meditation and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intervention Reduces Pain Severity and Sensitivity in Opioid-Treated Chronic Low Back Pain: Pilot Findings from a Randomized Controlled Trial. Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.), 17(10), 1865–1881

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Turner, J. A., Anderson, M. L., Balderson, B. H., Cook, A. J., Sherman, K. J., & Cherkin, D. C. (2016). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic low back pain: similar effects on mindfulness, catastrophizing, self-efficacy, and acceptance in a randomized controlled trial. Pain, 157(11), 2434–2444.

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Shpaner, M., Kelly, C., Lieberman, G., Perelman, H., Davis, M., Keefe, F. J., & Naylor, M. R. (2014). Unlearning chronic pain: A randomized controlled trial to investigate changes in intrinsic brain connectivity following Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. NeuroImage. Clinical, 5, 365–376.

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Grant, P. M., Huh, G. A., Perivoliotis, D., Stolar, N. M., & Beck, A. T. (2012). Randomized trial to evaluate the efficacy of cognitive therapy for low-functioning patients with schizophrenia. Archives of general psychiatry, 69(2), 121–127.

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Grant, P. M., Bredemeier, K., & Beck, A. T. (2017). Six-Month Follow-Up of Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy for Low-Functioning Individuals With Schizophrenia. Psychiatric services (Washington, D.C.), 68(10), 997–1002.

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Gumley, A., O’Grady, M., McNay, L., Reilly, J., Power, K., & Norrie, J. (2003). Early intervention for relapse in schizophrenia: results of a 12-month randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioural therapy. Psychological medicine, 33(3), 419–431.

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Perivoliotis, D., & Cather, C. (2009). Cognitive behavioral therapy of negative symptoms. Journal of clinical psychology, 65(8), 815–830.

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Kukla, M., Strasburger, A. M., Salyers, M. P., Rollins, A. L., & Lysaker, P. H. (2018). A Pilot Test of Group Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Augment Vocational Services for Persons With Serious Mental Illness: Feasibility and Competitive Work Outcomes. The Journal of nervous and mental disease, 206(5), 310–315.

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Beck, A.T., Finkel, M.R., & Beck, J. (2020). The Theory of Modes: Applications to Schizophrenia and Other Psychological Conditions. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 1-10.

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Morrison, A. P., Turkington, D., Pyle, M., Spencer, H., Brabban, A., Dunn, G., … & Hutton, P. (2014). Cognitive therapy for people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders not taking antipsychotic drugs: a single-blind randomised controlled trial. The Lancet, 383(9926), 1395-1403.

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Chang, N. A., Grant, P. M., Luther, L., & Beck, A. T. (2014). Effects of a recovery-oriented cognitive therapy training program on inpatient staff attitudes and incidents of seclusion and restraint. Community Mental Health Journal, 50(4), 415-421.

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Lam, D. H., Watkins, E. R., Hayward, P., Bright, J., Wright, K., Kerr, N., Parr-Davis, G., & Sham, P. (2003). A randomized controlled study of cognitive therapy for relapse prevention for bipolar affective disorder: outcome of the first year. Archives of general psychiatry, 60(2), 145–152.

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Miklowitz, D. J., Otto, M. W., Frank, E., Reilly-Harrington, N. A., Wisniewski, S. R., Kogan, J. N., Nierenberg, A. A., Calabrese, J. R., Marangell, L. B., Gyulai, L., Araga, M., Gonzalez, J. M., Shirley, E. R., Thase, M. E., & Sachs, G. S. (2007). Psychosocial treatments for bipolar depression: a 1-year randomized trial from the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program. Archives of general psychiatry, 64(4), 419–426.

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Lam, D. H., Hayward, P., Watkins, E. R., Wright, K., & Sham, P. (2005). Relapse prevention in patients with bipolar disorder: cognitive therapy outcome after 2 years. The American journal of psychiatry, 162(2), 324–329.

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Zaretsky, A., Lancee, W., Miller, C., Harris, A., & Parikh, S. V. (2008). Is cognitive-behavioural therapy more effective than psychoeducation in bipolar disorder?. The Canadian journal of psychiatry, 53(7), 441-448.

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Deckersbach, T., Hölzel, B. K., Eisner, L. R., Stange, J. P., Peckham, A. D., Dougherty, D. D., Rauch, S. L., Lazar, S., & Nierenberg, A. A. (2012). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for nonremitted patients with bipolar disorder. CNS neuroscience & therapeutics, 18(2), 133–141.

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Get training in CBT for bipolar disorder.
Ehlers, A., Clark, D. M., Hackmann, A., McManus, F., & Fennell, M. (2005). Cognitive therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder: development and evaluation. Behaviour research and therapy, 43(4), 413-431.

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Ehlers, A., Grey, N., Wild, J., Stott, R., Liness, S., Deale, A., … & Clark, D. M. (2013). Implementation of cognitive therapy for PTSD in routine clinical care: effectiveness and moderators of outcome in a consecutive sample. Behaviour research and therapy, 51(11), 742-752.

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Bisson, J., & Andrew, M. (2007). Psychological treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (3), CD003388.

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Jasbi, M., Sadeghi Bahmani, D., Karami, G., Omidbeygi, M., Peyravi, M., Panahi, A., Mirzaee, J., Holsboer-Trachsler, E., & Brand, S. (2018). Influence of adjuvant mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans – results from a randomized control study. Cognitive behaviour therapy, 47(5), 431–446.

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Cohen, J. A., & Mannarino, A. P. (2015). Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Traumatized Children and Families. Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America, 24(3), 557–570.

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Sannibale, C., Teesson, M., Creamer, M., Sitharthan, T., Bryant, R. A., Sutherland, K., Taylor, K., Bostock-Matusko, D., Visser, A., & Peek-O’Leary, M. (2013). Randomized controlled trial of cognitive behaviour therapy for comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorders. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 108(8), 1397–1410.

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Peris, T. S., Compton, S. N., Kendall, P. C., Birmaher, B., Sherrill, J., March, J., … & Piacentini, J. (2015). Trajectories of change in youth anxiety during cognitive—behavior therapy. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 83(2), 239.

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Seligman LD, Ollendick TH. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders in youth. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2011;20(2):217-238.

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Williams, T. I., Salkovskis, P. M., Forrester, L., Turner, S., White, H., & Allsopp, M. A. (2010). A randomised controlled trial of cognitive behavioural treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder in children and adolescents. European child & adolescent psychiatry, 19(5), 449–456.

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Raj, S., Sachdeva, S. A., Jha, R., Sharad, S., Singh, T., Arya, Y. K., & Verma, S. K. (2019). Effectiveness of mindfulness based cognitive behavior therapy on life satisfaction, and life orientation of adolescents with depression and suicidal ideation. Asian journal of psychiatry, 39, 58-62.

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Hudson, J. L., Rapee, R. M., Deveney, C., Schniering, C. A., Lyneham, H. J., & Bovopoulos, N. (2009). Cognitive-behavioral treatment versus an active control for children and adolescents with anxiety disorders: a randomized trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 48(5), 533–544.

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de Arellano, M. A., Lyman, D. R., Jobe-Shields, L., George, P., Dougherty, R. H., Daniels, A. S., Ghose, S. S., Huang, L., & Delphin-Rittmon, M. E. (2014). Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy for children and adolescents: assessing the evidence. Psychiatric services (Washington, D.C.), 65(5), 591–602.

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Oar, E. L., Johnco, C., & Ollendick, T. H. (2017). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety and Depression in Children and Adolescents. The Psychiatric clinics of North America, 40(4), 661–674.

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Cohen, J. A., & Mannarino, A. P. (2015). Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Traumatized Children and Families. Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America, 24(3), 557–570.

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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.

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Watts, S. E., Turnell, A., Kladnitski, N., Newby, J. M., & Andrews, G. (2015). Treatment-as-usual (TAU) is anything but usual: a meta-analysis of CBT versus TAU for anxiety and depression. Journal of affective disorders, 175, 152–167.

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Thoma N, Pilecki B, McKay D. Contemporary Cognitive Behavior Therapy: A Review of Theory, History, and Evidence. Psychodyn Psychiatry. 2015 Sep;43(3):423-61.

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Beck A. T. (2005). The current state of cognitive therapy: a 40-year retrospective. Archives of general psychiatry, 62(9), 953–959.  

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Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses. Cognitive therapy and research, 36(5), 427–440.

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Wiles, N. J., Thomas, L., Turner, N., Garfield, K., Kounali, D., Campbell, J., Kessler, D., Kuyken, W., Lewis, G., Morrison, J., Williams, C., Peters, T. J., & Hollinghurst, S. (2016). Long-term effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy for treatment-resistant depression in primary care: follow-up of the CoBalT randomised controlled trial. The lancet. Psychiatry, 3(2), 137–144.

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Dickerson, J. F., Lynch, F. L., Leo, M. C., DeBar, L. L., Pearson, J., & Clarke, G. N. (2018). Cost-effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for depressed youth declining antidepressants. Pediatrics, 141(2).

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Click here for a selection of Spanish language research articles about CBT and CT-R.


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