EFFECTS OF COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Abstract

The present study aims to carry out a systematic review of the literature on the effects of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in patients diagnosed with depression, considering evidence from randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses published in the last decade. Recognized databases were consulted, such as PubMed, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library, adopting inclusion criteria that included interventions based on CBT applied to adults with major depressive disorder, compared to usual care, waiting lists or other psychotherapeutic and pharmacological approaches. The results indicate that CBT has a significant effect on reducing depressive symptoms, with a medium to high effect size (g = 0.79). Evidence also points to the maintenance of therapeutic gains in follow-ups of six to twelve months (g = 0.49), reaffirming the stability of results over time. Studies carried out in primary care contexts show more modest efficacy (g = 0.22), but still clinically relevant. Furthermore, recent investigations suggest that guided digital interventions, based on the principles of CBT, also produce significant reductions in depression scores. Despite the consistency of the results, significant methodological variations were observed between studies, especially regarding the severity of depressive conditions, intervention format and presence of comorbidities. It is concluded that CBT constitutes an effective and consolidated psychotherapeutic intervention in the treatment of depression, and further studies aimed at analyzing the mediators and moderators of effectiveness in different clinical contexts are recommended.