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Review
. 2023 Jan;25(1):19-30.
doi: 10.1007/s11920-022-01402-8. Epub 2022 Dec 19.

Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety-Related Disorders: A Meta-Analysis of Recent Literature

Shalini Bhattacharya  1 , Carmen Goicoechea  2 , Saeideh Heshmati  3 , Joseph K Carpenter  4   5 , Stefan G Hofmann  6   7
Affiliations
Review

Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety-Related Disorders: A Meta-Analysis of Recent Literature

Shalini Bhattacharya et al. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2023 Jan.

Abstract

Purpose of review: Effective treatment of anxiety-related disorders is crucial, considering the prevalence of such disorders and their association with poor psychosocial functioning. To evaluate the most recent evidence on the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety-related disorders in adults, we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials published since 2017.

Recent findings: Ten studies with a total of 1250 participants met the inclusion criteria. Seven of these studies examined PTSD. The findings demonstrated small placebo-controlled effects of CBT on target disorder symptoms (Hedges' g = 0.24, p < 0.05) and depression (Hedges' g = 0.15, p = n.s). When examining only PTSD studies, effects were reduced (Hedges' g = 0.14, p < 0.05). Heterogeneity in most analyses was very low, and no publication bias was found. Effect sizes from placebo-controlled trials from the past 5 years appear to be smaller than those in prior meta-analyses. The findings are largely driven by research on PTSD, with few placebo-controlled trials of other anxiety-related disorders published since 2017.

Keywords: Anxiety; Anxiety disorders; Cognitive behavioral therapy; Meta-analysis; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Randomized controlled trials.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow diagram of study selection process
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Studies examining the effects of CBT to placebo for anxiety-related disorders
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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