Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment that can be effective for a wide range of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance misuse problems and severe mental illness. It was developed by Aaron Beck in the 1970s, with the first clinical trial published in 1977, which compared CBT to antidepressants.3 The findings were replicated in 1981, and since then, CBT has been widely used in the treatment of mental health disorders.

  1. American Psychological Association (2017). What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? Washington DC: American Psychological Association. Available at: American Psychological Association CBT page (Accessed: 8 May 2026)
  2. Beck JS and Fleming S (2021). A brief history of Aaron T. Beck, MD, and cognitive behavior therapy. Clinical Psychology in Europe, 3(2), e6701. Available at: https://doi.org/10.32872/cpe.6701
  3. Rush AJ, Beck AT, Kovacs M and Hollon S (1977). Comparative efficacy of cognitive therapy and pharmacotherapy in the treatment of depressed outpatients. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 1(1), pp 17–37. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01173502
  4. Blackburn IM, Bishop S, Glen AIM, Whalley LJ and Christie JE (1981). The efficacy of cognitive therapy in depression: A treatment trial using cognitive therapy and pharmacotherapy, each alone and in combination. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 139(3), pp 181–189. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.139.3.181
  5. Stallard P (2022). Evidence-based practice in cognitive-behavioural therapy. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 107(2), pp 109–113. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2020-321249
  6. Fordham B, Sugavanam T, Edwards K et al (2021). The evidence for cognitive behavioural therapy in any condition, population or context: A meta-review of systematic reviews and panoramic meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 51(1), pp. 21–29. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720005292
  7. Cooper Z and Fairburn CG (2001). A new cognitive behavioural approach to the treatment of obesity. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 39(5), pp. 499–511. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(00)00065-6
  8. Dalle Grave R, Sartirana M and Calugi S (2020). Personalised cognitive-behavioural therapy for obesity (CBT-OB): Theory, strategies and procedures. BioPsychoSocial Medicine, 14, Article 5. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13030-020-00177-9
  9. Moullec G, Lavoie KL, Rabasa-Lhoret R et al (2018). Impact of cognitive-behavioral interventions on weight loss and psychological outcomes: A meta-analysis. Health Psychology, 37(5), pp. 417–432. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000576
  10. Kurnik MK, Pajek J, Logar ŽB et al (2023). Cognitive behavioral therapy for lifestyle changes in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific Reports, 13, Article 12793. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-40141-5
  11. Cooper Z, Doll HA, Hawker DM et al (2010). Testing a new cognitive behavioural treatment for obesity: A randomised controlled trial with three-year follow-up’, Behaviour Research and Therapy, 48(8), pp. 706–713. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2010.03.008
  12. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2023). Planning and delivering overweight and obesity services and interventions. London: NICE. Available at: NICE guideline NG246 section (Accessed: 8 May 2026)
  13. Tchang BG, Aras M, Kumar RB et al (2024). Pharmacologic treatment of overweight and obesity in adults in Feingold KR, Adler RA, Ahmed SF et al. (eds.) Endotext. South Dartmouth, MA: MDText.com, Inc. Available at: NCBI Endotext chapter (Accessed: 8 May 2026)
  14. West S, Scragg J, Aveyard P et al (2026). Weight regain after cessation of medication for weight management: Systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ, 392. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2025-085304
  15. Phelan S and Wadden TA (2002). Combining behavioral and pharmacological treatments for obesity. Obesity Research, 10(6), pp. 560–574. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2002.77
  16. Egoshi M, Saito A, Nordeng L et al (2025). Retrospective study of cognitive behavioral therapy for obesity modified as FIRE method (CBT-F) in combination with medication for weight loss. Medicine, 104(19), e38141. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000038141
  17. Petroni ML, Montesi L, Colosimo S et al (2019). Combination of GLP-1 receptor agonists and behavioural treatment in type 2 diabetes elicits synergistic effects on body weight: A retrospective cohort study. Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, 2(4), e00082. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/edm2.82

About the Author: Hazel Long

Hazel specialises in public health and works as a freelancer. She is currently completing a Master’s degree in Psychology at the University of Glasgow and is interested in eating behaviours.

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Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment that can be effective for a wide range of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance misuse problems and severe mental illness. It was developed by Aaron Beck in the 1970s, with the first clinical trial published in 1977, which compared CBT to antidepressants.3 The findings were replicated in 1981, and since then, CBT has been widely used in the treatment of mental health disorders.

  1. American Psychological Association (2017). What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? Washington DC: American Psychological Association. Available at: American Psychological Association CBT page (Accessed: 8 May 2026)
  2. Beck JS and Fleming S (2021). A brief history of Aaron T. Beck, MD, and cognitive behavior therapy. Clinical Psychology in Europe, 3(2), e6701. Available at: https://doi.org/10.32872/cpe.6701
  3. Rush AJ, Beck AT, Kovacs M and Hollon S (1977). Comparative efficacy of cognitive therapy and pharmacotherapy in the treatment of depressed outpatients. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 1(1), pp 17–37. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01173502
  4. Blackburn IM, Bishop S, Glen AIM, Whalley LJ and Christie JE (1981). The efficacy of cognitive therapy in depression: A treatment trial using cognitive therapy and pharmacotherapy, each alone and in combination. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 139(3), pp 181–189. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.139.3.181
  5. Stallard P (2022). Evidence-based practice in cognitive-behavioural therapy. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 107(2), pp 109–113. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2020-321249
  6. Fordham B, Sugavanam T, Edwards K et al (2021). The evidence for cognitive behavioural therapy in any condition, population or context: A meta-review of systematic reviews and panoramic meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 51(1), pp. 21–29. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720005292
  7. Cooper Z and Fairburn CG (2001). A new cognitive behavioural approach to the treatment of obesity. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 39(5), pp. 499–511. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(00)00065-6
  8. Dalle Grave R, Sartirana M and Calugi S (2020). Personalised cognitive-behavioural therapy for obesity (CBT-OB): Theory, strategies and procedures. BioPsychoSocial Medicine, 14, Article 5. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13030-020-00177-9
  9. Moullec G, Lavoie KL, Rabasa-Lhoret R et al (2018). Impact of cognitive-behavioral interventions on weight loss and psychological outcomes: A meta-analysis. Health Psychology, 37(5), pp. 417–432. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000576
  10. Kurnik MK, Pajek J, Logar ŽB et al (2023). Cognitive behavioral therapy for lifestyle changes in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific Reports, 13, Article 12793. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-40141-5
  11. Cooper Z, Doll HA, Hawker DM et al (2010). Testing a new cognitive behavioural treatment for obesity: A randomised controlled trial with three-year follow-up’, Behaviour Research and Therapy, 48(8), pp. 706–713. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2010.03.008
  12. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2023). Planning and delivering overweight and obesity services and interventions. London: NICE. Available at: NICE guideline NG246 section (Accessed: 8 May 2026)
  13. Tchang BG, Aras M, Kumar RB et al (2024). Pharmacologic treatment of overweight and obesity in adults in Feingold KR, Adler RA, Ahmed SF et al. (eds.) Endotext. South Dartmouth, MA: MDText.com, Inc. Available at: NCBI Endotext chapter (Accessed: 8 May 2026)
  14. West S, Scragg J, Aveyard P et al (2026). Weight regain after cessation of medication for weight management: Systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ, 392. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2025-085304
  15. Phelan S and Wadden TA (2002). Combining behavioral and pharmacological treatments for obesity. Obesity Research, 10(6), pp. 560–574. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2002.77
  16. Egoshi M, Saito A, Nordeng L et al (2025). Retrospective study of cognitive behavioral therapy for obesity modified as FIRE method (CBT-F) in combination with medication for weight loss. Medicine, 104(19), e38141. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000038141
  17. Petroni ML, Montesi L, Colosimo S et al (2019). Combination of GLP-1 receptor agonists and behavioural treatment in type 2 diabetes elicits synergistic effects on body weight: A retrospective cohort study. Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, 2(4), e00082. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/edm2.82

About the Author: Hazel Long

Hazel specialises in public health and works as a freelancer. She is currently completing a Master’s degree in Psychology at the University of Glasgow and is interested in eating behaviours.

Leave A Comment

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