The DOI matches its Crossref record; 159 of the 160 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Efficacy of cognitive–behavioural therapy and other psychological treatments for adult depression: meta-analytic study of publication bias
Open accessAbstract
Background: It is not clear whether the effects of cognitive–behavioural therapy and other psychotherapies have been overestimated because of publication bias. Aims: To examine indicators of publication bias in randomised controlled trials of psychotherapy for adult depression. Method: We examined effect sizes of 117 trials with 175 comparisons between psychotherapy and control conditions. As indicators of publication bias we examined funnel plots, calculated adjusted effect sizes after publication had been taken into account using Duval & Tweedie's procedure, and tested the symmetry of the funnel plots using the Begg & Mazumdar rank correlation test and Egger's test. Results: The mean effect size was 0.67, which was reduced after adjustment for publication bias to 0.42 (51 imputed studies). Both Begg & Mazumbar's test and Egger's test were highly significant (P<0.001). Conclusions: The effects of psychotherapy for adult depression seem to be overestimated considerably because of publication bias.
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“There is considerable indirect evidence of publication bias in psychotherapy research, based on excess publication of small studies with large effect sizes 16 .”
From How effective are cognitive behavior therapies for major depression and anxiety disorders? A meta-analytic update of the evidence (2016) · cites this paper as [16]
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“Distress disorders evidence comparatively inferior acute and enduring response with CBTs [27–29].”
From All together now: utilizing common functional change principles to unify cognitive behavioral and mindfulness-based therapies (2019) · cites this paper as [28]
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“PP interventions have been used in over 4000 mostly healthy subjects and have been found to increase well-being and decrease depression [41, 43], with effect sizes comparable to other psychological interventions [44, 45].”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Cuijpers, P., Smit, F., Bohlmeijer, E., Hollon, S. D., & Andersson, G.
- Affiliations
- Amsterdam Public Health (NL)
- Trimbos Institute (NL)
- Vanderbilt University (US)
- Linköping University (SE)
- Corresponding author
- Cuijpers, Pim
- Venue
- British Journal of Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Published
- 2010-03
- Volume
- 196
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 173-178
- ISSN
- 0007-1250 (ISSN-L)
- 1472-1465
- OpenAlex
- W2156110385
- Cited by
- 391
- References
- 160
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 33 · 2014: 37 · 2013: 30 · 2012: 22
- FWCI
- 8.66
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- The British Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Pure Amsterdam UMC (publishedVersion)
- Amsterdam UMC (VU Amsterdam) - Institutional Repository (publishedVersion)
- VU Research Portal (publishedVersion)
- University of Twente Research Information (publishedVersion)
- University of Twente Research Information (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty › Meta-analysis and systematic reviews
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Keywords
- publication bias, cognitive behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, adult depression, effect size overestimation, funnel plot asymmetry
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Child, Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Research, Statistics as Topic, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Publication Bias
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