Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29451967›Full record

SynthesisDepression and anxiety2018

Cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and related disorders: A meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials.

Joseph K Carpenter, Leigh A Andrews, Sara M Witcraft, Mark B Powers, Jasper A J Smits, Stefan G Hofmann

3 registry-linked trialsOpen access · greenAbstract readMeta-AnalysisReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Depression and anxiety, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 290 papers, 23 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
290citing papers in PubMed, 23 pooled it
63.0field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

NCT07140497 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Reduction of Anxiety Through Dual Mental Health Treatment: Digital-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) Mental Health Coaches for People With Disabilities (RADD)

TypeinterventionalSponsorToivoa IncRan2026 to 2027Enrolled200ConditionsHearing Disability, Anxiety, Mobility DisabilityArmsSham Digital Program - General health education and interactive quizzes unrelated to anxiety or CBT., Toivoa-001 - A digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy program combined with NBHWC-certified coaching.
NCT07195292 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Reduction of Depression Through Dual Mental Health Treatment: Digital-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) Mental Health Coaches for People With Disabilities (ReDu)

TypeinterventionalSponsorToivoa IncRan2026 to 2027Enrolled200ConditionsHearing Disability, Depression, Mobility DisabilityArmsSham Digital Program - General health education and interactive quizzes unrelated to depression or CBT., Toivoa-002 - A digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy program combined with NBHWC-certified coaching.
NCT07532551 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Assessing the Clinical and Cost Effectiveness of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (iCBT) for Anxiety and Depression in Singapore

TypeinterventionalSponsorNational University of SingaporeRan2026 to 2028Enrolled390ConditionsDepression and/or Anxiety in the Mild-to-moderate Range, Cognitive Behavioral TherapyArmsInternet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

290 citing papers in PubMed, 23 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 829 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Brazilian Psychiatric Association guidelines for the treatment of social anxiety disorder.Revista brasileira de psiquiatria (Sao Paulo, Brazil : 1999) · 2025
    Guideline
  8. Pooled it
  9. Pooled it
  10. Pooled it
  11. Pooled it
  12. Pooled it
  13. Pooled it
  14. Pooled it
  15. Pooled it
  16. Pooled it
  17. Pooled it
  18. Pooled it
  19. Pooled it
  20. Pooled it

230 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Joseph K CarpenterDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-1390-1345
Leigh A AndrewsDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
Sara M WitcraftDepartment of Psychology and Institute for Mental Health Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
Mark B PowersDepartment of Psychology and Institute for Mental Health Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7898-073X
Jasper A J SmitsDepartment of Psychology and Institute for Mental Health Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-1633-9693
Stefan G HofmannDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3548-9681
Boston University · USBaylor University Medical Center · USTexas Research Institute · USUniversity of Mississippi · US

Funding

Toward Outcome Measurement of Anxiety in Youth with Autism Spectrum DisordersR01MH099021 · NIMH · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI SCAHILL, LAWRENCE D. · 2012 to 2015
$2.7M
1/2-Yoga For Generalized Anxiety DisorderR01AT007257 · NCCIH · BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) · PI HOFMANN, STEFAN G. · 2013 to 2017
$2.0M
Integrated PTSD and Smoking TreatmentK01DA035930 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · PI POWERS, MARK B · 2013 to 2017
$857k
Neural Dimensions of Attention Bias Modification for Transdiagnostic AnxietyK23MH100259 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI PRICE, REBECCA · 2013 to 2017
$788k
2/3-Dose Timing of D-cycloserine to Augment CBT for Social Anxiety DisorderR34MH099311 · NIMH · BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) · PI HOFMANN, STEFAN G. · 2014 to 2016
$737k
3/3-Dose Timing of D-cycloserine to Augment CBT for Social Anxiety DisorderR34MH099318 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · PI SMITS, JASPER · 2014 to 2016
$695k
Exposure Therapy for Fear of Falling in Older AdultsR34MH086668 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI WETHERELL, JULIE L · 2010 to 2012
$691k
Enhancing Panic and Smoking Reduction Treatment with D-CycloserineR34DA034658 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · PI OTTO, MICHAEL W., SMITS, JASPER · 2013 to 2015
$622k
Fear extinction memory in primary insomniaR21MH101567 · NIMH · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI PACE-SCHOTT, EDWARD F. · 2014 to 2015
$464k
Improving Therapeutic Learning in Depression: Proof of ConceptR21MH102646 · NIMH · BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) · PI OTTO, MICHAEL W. · 2014 to 2015
$452k
NCCIH NIH HHS R01 AT007257NIDA NIH HHS K01 DA035930NIDA NIH HHS R34 DA034658NIMH NIH HHS K23 MH100259NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH099021NIMH NIH HHS R21 MH101567NIMH NIH HHS R21 MH102646NIMH NIH HHS R34 MH086668NIMH NIH HHS R34 MH099311NIMH NIH HHS R34 MH099318
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety-related disorders based on randomized placebo-controlled trials. We included 41 studies that randomly assigned patients (N = 2,843) with acute stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder (PD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or social anxiety disorder (SAD) to CBT or a psychological or pill placebo condition. Findings demonstrated moderate placebo-controlled effects of CBT on target disorder symptoms (Hedges' g = 0.56), and small to moderate effects on other anxiety symptoms (Hedges' g = 0.38), depression (Hedges' g = 0.31), and quality of life (Hedges' g = 0.30). Response rates in CBT compared to placebo were associated with an odds ratio of 2.97. Effects on the target disorder were significantly stronger for completer samples than intent-to-treat samples, and for individuals compared to group CBT in SAD and PTSD studies. Large effect sizes were found for OCD, GAD, and acute stress disorder, and small to moderate effect sizes were found for PTSD, SAD, and PD. In PTSD studies, dropout rates were greater in CBT (29.0%) compared to placebo (17.2%), but no difference in dropout was found across other disorders. Interventions primarily using exposure strategies had larger effect sizes than those using cognitive or cognitive and behavioral techniques, though this difference did not reach significance. Findings demonstrate that CBT is a moderately efficacious treatment for anxiety disorders when compared to placebo. More effective treatments are especially needed for PTSD, SAD, and PD.

Indexed as

Anxiety DisordersCognitive Behavioral TherapyHumansObsessive-Compulsive DisorderOutcome Assessment, Health CareRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticStress Disorders, Traumatic, Acuteanxietyanxiety disordersbehavior therapycognitive therapymeta-analysistreatment outcome

Identifiers

PMID29451967
PMCPMC5992015
OpenAlexW2792256936

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

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.