Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy the Gold Standard for Psychotherapy?The Need for Plurality in Treatment and Research

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Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy the Gold Standard for Psychotherapy?The Need for Plurality in Treatment and Research

The Need for Plurality in Treatment and Research

Falk Leichsenring, DSc¹; Christiane Steinert, PhD^1,2

Author Affiliations Article Information

 

JAMA. Published online September 21, 2017. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.13737

Mental disorders are common and associated with severe impairments and high societal costs, thus representing a significant public health concern. About 75% of patients prefer psychotherapy over medication.¹ For psychotherapy of mental disorders, several approaches are available such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy, or psychodynamic therapy. Pointing to the available evidence, CBT is usually considered the gold standard for the psychotherapeutic treatment of many or even most mental disorders.^2,3 For example, the American Psychological Association’s Division 12 Task Force on Psychological Interventions currently lists CBT as the only treatment with “strong research support” in almost 80% of all mental disorders included in its listing.²

For a treatment to be considered the gold standard requires that substantial supporting evidence exists. Recently, however, additional research findings have emerged that question the prominent status of CBT. In this Viewpoint, we review some of the most important findings.