What is the Evidence that CBT Helps People?

CBT is constantly evolving by what is called “empirical evidence” or “evidence-based-practice”, and this form of psychotherapy is constantly synchronized with the latest recommendations from the research suggesting what works best.

For example, we once thought it was good practice to encourage someone to see a counsellor / psychotherapist immediately after a trauma (such as a sexual assault or following an assault). We now know that according to various reports it is not helpful and in one study they found it to be unhelpful or counter-productive. But when we think about this it is kind of obvious. Traumas (or life events) have happened for millions of years and humans have developed successful ways to deal with these events at a pace that suits that individual. To encourage a person to talk about a difficulty (or process it) when they are not ready might actually lead to a crisis that they can not control. The best approach is to give the person some time to deal with the situation, in their own way, and if the person is still effected by the event (after 3-6 months), professional help can then be useful.

Evidence Compiled by the Government

CBT uses the evidence from research and clinical studies to formulate ideas and procedures for best practice. These are then applied on an idiosyncratic basis to individuals within therapy.

It is beyond the scope of this web page to present the evidence for CBT from the clinical studies. However, we can say that the best available evidence supports CBT for these problems.

NICE is the independent organisation responsible for providing national health care guidance on the promotion of good health and the prevention and treatment of ill health. Clinical guildlines are "guidance on the appropriate treatment and care of people with specific diseases and conditions within the NHS in England and Wales". Below you can download PDF versions of the guildines.

Anxiety

Depression

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Treatment Choice in Psychological Therapies and Counselling (DoH)

The Department of Health has also produced supporting information on CBT in it's documents which looked at the most popular types of psychotherapy.

Download PDF - Brief Version

Download PDF - Full Version