SynthesisJournal of clinical psychology2018
50 years of rational-emotive and cognitive-behavioral therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Journal of clinical psychology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
44 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Examination of the variables related to parents' irrational beliefs: a meta-analysis study.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Pooled it
- Mental health interventions affecting university faculty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2024Pooled it
- A systematic review of the nature and efficacy of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy interventions.PloS one · 2024Pooled it
- Alarm-assisted urotherapy for daytime urinary incontinence in children: A meta-analysis.PloS one · 2023Pooled it
- For whom and what outcomes does cognitive-behavioral-therapy work among cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2022Pooled it
- The Efficacy of Psychological Intervention on Body Image in Breast Cancer Patients and Survivors: A Systematic-Review and Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2021Pooled it
- 50 years of rational-emotive and cognitive-behavioral therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of clinical psychology · 2018Pooled it
- The effect of cognitive behavioral counseling on anxiety and worry level of women with intermediate risk during first trimester screening for down syndrome: a randomized controlled trial: a randomized controlled trial.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2023Trial
- Psychological mechanism of acceptance and commitment therapy and rational emotive behavior therapy for treating hoarding: Evidence from randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in public health · 2023Trial
- Is REThink therapeutic game effective in preventing emotional disorders in children and adolescents? Outcomes of a randomized clinical trial.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2019Trial
- Psychological intervention for anxiety in patients undergoing colonoscopy: a randomized controlled trial protocol.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Transdiagnostic Internet-delivered intervention for children and adolescents with anxiety and depressive disorders: a randomized controlled trial.NPJ digital medicine · 2026Article
- Associations Between Irrational Beliefs and Inflammatory Biomarkers: A Brief Research Report.International journal of behavioral medicine · 2025Article
- Processes of Change: Integrating Relationality with Cognitive-Behavioral and Acceptance Constructs.Journal of contemporary psychotherapy · 2025Article
- Frustrated Teachers: An REBT Intervention to Reduce Frustration Discomfort in Middle School Teachers-A Quasi-Experimental Study.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2025Article
- Traditional Chinese Medicine for the Treatment of Geriatric Heart Disease: A Review.Acta Cardiologica Sinica · 2025Review
- Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy for exercise: examining self-determined motivation, alongside readiness, confidence, and motivation to exercise.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Impact of rational emotive therapy on anxiety associated physical symptoms among older adults.Bioinformation · 2025Article
- Tales of rationality: the rational emotive behavioral monomyth as a metaphorical alignment of rational emotive behavior therapy and the Hero's Journey narrative structure.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Evidence-based practice among mental health professionals in Puerto Rico: Attitudes, knowledge, resources, and treatments.PLOS mental health · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveRational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), introduced by Albert Ellis in the late 1950s, is one of the main pillars of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Existing reviews on REBT are overdue by 10 years or more. We aimed to summarize the effectiveness and efficacy of REBT since its beginnings and investigate the alleged mechanisms of change.
methodSystematic search identified 84 articles, out of which 68 provided data for between-group analyses and 39 for within-group analyses.
resultsWe found a medium effect size of REBT compared to other interventions on outcomes (d = 0.58) and on irrational beliefs (d = 0.70), at posttest. For the within-group analyses, we obtained medium effects for both outcomes (d = 0.56) and irrational beliefs (d = 0.61). Several significant moderators emerged.
conclusionREBT is a sound psychological intervention. Directions for future studies are outlined, stemming from the limitations of existing ones.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.