Cognitive behavioral therapies for depression and anxiety in people with chronic disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Amelia J. Scott*, Madelyne A. Bisby, Andreea I. Heriseanu, Yalda Salameh, Eyal Karin, Rhiannon Fogliati, Joanne Dudeney, Milena Gandy, Lauren F. McLellan, Bethany Wootton, Sarah McDonald, Ashleigh Correa, Nick Titov, Blake F. Dear

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Anxiety and depression in chronic disease are common and burdensome co-morbidities. There has been growing interest in cognitive and behavioral therapies (CBTs) for anxiety and depression in chronic disease, however their efficacy has not been well-established. This study examined the efficacy of CBTs for depression and/or anxiety symptoms within chronic disease and explored the moderating role of clinical and methodological characteristics.

METHODS: Following prospective registration, electronic databases were searched up to 2023 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining CBTs for depression and/or anxiety in any adult chronic disease population.

RESULTS: We included 56 RCTs. The overall effect of CBTs was g = 0.61 (95% CI, 0.49, 0.72) for depression and g = 0.56 (95% CI, 0.42, 0.70) for anxiety. A range of methodological features significantly moderated the effect sizes obtained, including type of control group and the outcome measure used. Risk of Bias ratings indicated some concerns regarding RCT conduct and reporting.

CONCLUSIONS: CBTs lead to moderate improvements in both depression and anxiety symptoms among people with chronic disease. However, the efficacy of CBT should be interpreted considering certain study and sample characteristics. It is recommended that future studies make improvements to study methodology and reporting.

Original languageEnglish
Article number102353
Pages (from-to)1-14
Number of pages14
JournalClinical Psychology Review
Volume106
Early online date16 Oct 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2023

Keywords

  • anxiety
  • chronic disease
  • cognitive behavior therapy
  • depression
  • meta-analysis

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