Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41821370›Full record

Trial reportPsychological medicine2026

Exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy delivered by assertive community treatment teams for severe mental illness with symptoms of anxiety: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Sayaka Sato, Asami Matsunaga, Makoto Ogawa, Masashi Mizuno, Akiko Kikuchi, Hiroaki Kumano, Sosei Yamaguchi, Chiyo Fujii

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Psychological medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

8 authors.

Sayaka SatoDepartment of Community Mental Health and Law, https://ror.org/04t0s7x83National Institute of Mental Health, NCNP, Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-3386-9576
Asami MatsunagaDepartment of Community Mental Health and Law, https://ror.org/04t0s7x83National Institute of Mental Health, NCNP, Japan.ORCID 0000-0001-8375-0146
Makoto OgawaDepartment of Community Mental Health and Law, https://ror.org/04t0s7x83National Institute of Mental Health, NCNP, Japan.
Masashi Mizunohttps://ror.org/02956yf07University of Tsukuba, Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-1374-5605
Akiko Kikuchihttps://ror.org/04bcbax71Musashino University, Japan.ORCID 0009-0007-2004-419X
Hiroaki Kumanohttps://ror.org/00ntfnx83Waseda University, Japan.
Sosei YamaguchiDepartment of Community Mental Health and Law, https://ror.org/04t0s7x83National Institute of Mental Health, NCNP, Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-0579-4431
Chiyo FujiiDepartment of Community Mental Health and Law, https://ror.org/04t0s7x83National Institute of Mental Health, NCNP, Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-9423-2691

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIndividuals with severe mental illnesses (SMIs) experience anxiety that impairs functioning and quality of life. This cluster randomized trial evaluated exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ebCBT) integrated into assertive community treatment (ACT) teams to reduce anxiety.

methodsFifteen ACT teams were allocated to ebCBT + ACT (k = 8, n = 50) or ACT-only (k = 7, n = 43). The intervention followed four steps: situation identification, four-component analysis (behavior, cognition, emotion, physical symptoms), psychoeducation, and graded exposure. Staff received 50 h training and bimonthly supervision over 12 months. Co-primary outcomes were trait and social anxiety; secondary outcomes were psychiatric symptoms, functioning, quality of life, and recovery.

resultsThe ebCBT + ACT group showed significant improvements in State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait scores at 12 months (AMD = -5.30, 95% CI = -8.71 to -1.90, p = 0.002, d = -0.64) and 18 months (AMD = -7.22, 95% CI = -12.1 to -2.34, p = 0.004, d = -0.60). Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation scores showed near-significant improvement at 18 months (AMD = -3.70, 95% CI = -7.44 to 0.04, p = 0.052, d = -0.40). Secondary outcomes, including global functioning, recovery, and quality of life, also improved. Cost-effectiveness analyses indicated favorable cost-effectiveness for anxiety outcomes.

conclusionsEmbedding ebCBT within ACT services may reduce anxiety-related fear and avoidance and enhance recovery-related outcomes in individuals with SMI. These findings support the feasibility and clinical value of integrating structured psychological interventions into intensive community-based outreach services.

Indexed as

AnxietyAnxiety DisordersCognitive Behavioral TherapyCommunity Mental Health ServicesMental DisordersAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQuality of LifeTreatment Outcomeanxietyassertive community treatmentcommunity mental healthcost-effectivenessexposure-based cognitive behavioral therapyimplementationpersonal recoverypsychosocial interventionquality of liferandomized controlled trialschizophreniasevere mental illness

Identifiers

PMID41821370
PMCPMC13079238

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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.