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Is Group More Cost Effective than Individual Cognitive Behaviour Therapy? The Evidence is not Solid Yet
Abstract
This paper critically evaluates the empirical evidence of 36 studies regarding the comparative cost-effectiveness of group and individual cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) as a whole, and also for specific mental disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety, substance abuse) or populations (e.g. children). Methods of calculating costs, as well as methods of comparing treatment outcomes were appraised and criticized. Overall, the evidence that group CBT is more cost-effective than individual CBT is mixed, with group CBT appearing to be more cost effective in treating depression and children, but less cost effective in treating drugs and alcohol dependence, anxiety and social phobias. In addition, methodological weaknesses in the studies assessed are noted. There is a need to improve cost calculation methodology, as well as more solid and a greater number of empirical cost-effectiveness studies before a firm conclusion can be reached that group CBT is more cost effective then individual CBT.
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In the citing paper
“and offers the potential for cost savings (Morrison, 2001;Tucker & Oei, 2007).”
From Better living with illness: A transdiagnostic acceptance and commitment therapy group intervention for chronic physical illness (2016) · cites this paper as Tucker & Oei, 2007
In the citing paper
“In depression care, group therapy has been shown to be more economic than individual therapy [23].”
In the citing paper
“Possible advantages of group compared to individual face-to-face therapy, may include more time in therapy at less cost, as well as the experience of learning from the struggles and progress of others and the social support offered by group treatment [12,13].”
From A randomised controlled feasibility trial of Group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for people with severe asthma (2017) · cites this paper as [12]
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Vøllestad, J., Nielsen, M. B., & Nielsen, G. H. (2012) · British Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.2044-8260.2011.02024.x · Cited by 459
Coster, S., & Norman, I. J. (2008) · International Journal of Nursing Studies · doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2008.09.009 · Cited by 233
“Group delivery of specialist therapies such as CBT or psychotherapy has been found to be both as effective as individual therapy whilst being more cost-effective for certain conditions (McCrone et al., 2005; Tucker, 2007).”
BackgroundHEWLETT, S. E., Ambler, N., Almeida, C., Cliss, A., Hammond, A., Kitchen, K., Knops, B., Pope, D., Spears, M. R., Swinkels, A., et al. (2011) · Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases · doi:10.1136/ard.2010.144691 · Cited by 212
López-López, J. A., Davies, S. R., Caldwell, D. M., Churchill, R., Peters, T. J., Tallon, D., Dawson, S., Wu, Q., Li, J., Taylor, A., et al. (2019) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s003329171900120x · Cited by 161
Manicavasgar, V., Parker, G., & Perich, T. (2011) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2010.09.027 · Cited by 136
“Group-based CBT approaches have been found to be cost effective and therapeutically equivalent to individual face-to-face approaches, thus further contributing to the popularity of CBT as an acute treatment for depression (Oei and Dingle, 2008; Tucker and Oei, 2007).”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Tucker, M., & Oei, T. P. S.
- Affiliations
- The University of Queensland (AU)
- Venue
- Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2007-01
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 77-91
- ISSN
- 1352-4658 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-1833
- OpenAlex
- W1899727040
- Cited by
- 154
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 13.87
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (publishedVersion)
- QUT Business School
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Keywords
- group cognitive behavioral therapy, cost-effectiveness, depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, alcoholism, drug addiction, social anxiety disorder, children, cost calculation methods, treatment outcome comparison
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