Group cognitive–behavioural therapy for anxiety and depression
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Summary: Cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) is a psychological treatment approach that can be delivered not only on a one-to-one basis but also to groups and in self-help formats. However, the evidence base supporting individual CBT is more extensive than the research regarding group CBT. This is likely to influence the choice of services that develop in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme for the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders in primary care in England. This article outlines the different forms that group CBT takes, the way in which it may benefit people and the current evidence base supporting its use for anxiety and depression. It also outlines the advantages of group or individual CBT and describes those patients who appear to be best suited to a specific delivery.
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Group therapy is as effective as individual therapy.
“Evidence suggests that group therapy is as effective as individual therapy (Burlingame, Mackenzie & Strauss, 2004;Whitfield, 2010)”
From Better living with illness: A transdiagnostic acceptance and commitment therapy group intervention for chronic physical illness (2016) · cites this paper as Whitfield, 2010
In “Is group CBT effective?” (page unavailable), Whitfield says the evidence does not allow an unequivocal conclusion that group and individual CBT have equivalent outcomes. The “Generalised anxiety disorder” section (page unavailable) reports lower recovery rates for group CBT than for individual CBT. The paper therefore does not support the citing sentence’s general claim of equal effectiveness. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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References 45 · Cited by 94
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- Authors
- Whitfield, G.
- Affiliations
- National Health Service (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Whitfield, Graeme
- Venue
- Advances in Psychiatric Treatment
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2010-05
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 219-227
- ISSN
- 1355-5146 (ISSN-L)
- 1472-1481
- OpenAlex
- W2100942424
- Cited by
- 94
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 3
- FWCI
- 0.42
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Advances in Psychiatric Treatment (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Assessments
- Keywords
- group cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, anxiety disorders, depression, Improving Access to Psychological Therapies, primary care, self-help, evidence base
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