Long-Term Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Routine Outpatient Care: A 5- to 20-Year Follow-Up Study

Abstract

The results point to the long-term effectiveness of CBT under routine conditions for a wide array of problems, especially when compared to the long-term effects of medical treatment. It is noteworthy that the results at follow-up were even better than at posttreatment, indicating further improvement. However, about a quarter of the patients did not respond sufficiently to therapy, neither concerning short-term nor long-term effects.