CBT vs IPT
A side-by-side comparison of recorded mechanisms, evidence review status, related condition topics, and philosophical roots.
At a glance
Source checks, condition-specific assessments and expert review are separate steps. Each assessment applies only to its stated population and use. Topic links do not establish comparative effectiveness.
CBT
- Tradition
- Cognitive-Behavioral
- Founder
- Aaron Beck (1964)
- Review status
- 10 condition assessments available
- Official sources
Guidelines and official sources (59)
58 clinical guideline checks · 1 evidence registry check
Read the recommendation and its scope. A source may discuss an approach without recommending it.
- Depression in adults: treatment and management (NG222)
Recommendation for the stated population
CBT is a named adult depression treatment option.
Scope: Adults with depression
- Generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults (CG113)
Recommendation for the stated population
NICE recommends CBT for specified GAD and panic-disorder presentations. The relevant protocol and treatment step matter.
Scope: Adults with GAD or panic disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (NG116)
Recommendation for the stated population
NICE recommends trauma-focused CBT protocols, including CPT, cognitive therapy for PTSD, NET and PE; generic CBT is too imprecise.
Scope: Adults with acute stress disorder or clinically important PTSD symptoms; time since trauma matters
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder: treatment (CG31)
Recommendation for the stated population
NICE recommends CBT including ERP, with intensity matched to impairment.
Scope: Adults with OCD; intensity and combined treatment depend on impairment
- Psychosis and schizophrenia in adults: prevention and management (CG178)
Recommendation for the stated population
NICE recommends CBT delivered to the specified psychosis protocol.
Scope: Adults with psychosis or schizophrenia
- Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of PTSD and Acute Stress Disorder
Discussed in the source
VA/DoD strongly recommends CPT, EMDR and PE by name. This does not give every form of CBT the same recommendation.
Scope: Adults with PTSD
- Cognitive therapy for depression
Discussed in the source
The archive rates this specific treatment Strong under 1998 criteria; this is not a universal CBT rating or CPG grade.
Scope: Cognitive therapy for depression
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Adults
Recommendation for the stated population
APA strongly recommends the trauma-focused CBT family for adult PTSD. Footnote 4 defines a broad grouping, not a specific therapy.
Scope: Adults with PTSD; trauma-focused CBT family compared with no intervention or treatment as usual
- Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of PTSD and Acute Stress Disorder
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD weakly suggests trauma-focused cognitive behavioral psychotherapy for PTSD prevention in acute stress disorder. This is distinct from immediate support for everyone exposed to trauma.
Scope: Adults diagnosed with acute stress disorder; prevention of subsequent PTSD.
- Assessment and Management of Patients at Risk for Suicide
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD weakly suggests suicide-focused CBT-based psychotherapy to reduce attempts in this population. Generic CBT is not interchangeable with a suicide-focused protocol.
Scope: Suicide-focused CBT-based psychotherapy for adults aged 18 and over with suicidal behavior within the past six months.
- Assessment and Management of Patients at Risk for Suicide
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD weakly suggests suicide-focused CBT, including problem-solving-based psychotherapies. The ideation outcome differs from recommendation 5’s attempt outcome.
Scope: Adults aged 18 and over with a history of self-directed violence; reducing suicidal ideation.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Pregnancy
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD strongly recommends offering CBT for prevention in this at-risk population. Treatment of an existing depressive episode is addressed separately.
Scope: Pregnant patients at risk of perinatal depression; individual or group delivery.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Pregnancy
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD weakly suggests CBT for treating perinatal depression.
Scope: Depression during pregnancy or postpartum.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Pregnancy
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD weakly suggests psychotherapy, naming CBT as an example, or yoga or both for this population.
Scope: Anxiety symptoms during or after pregnancy.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hypertension in Primary Care
Discussed in the source
The discussion reports studies combining CBT with dietary support. Recommendation 19 strongly favors low-sodium diet plus physical activity; its strength cannot be assigned to CBT by itself.
Scope: Combined lifestyle interventions for hypertension, including low-sodium diet with CBT.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Non-Surgical Management of Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis
Discussed in the source
The appendix names CBT as an optional psychosocial or behavioral intervention, guided by availability and patient preference. This is ungraded implementation guidance, not a separately graded osteoarthritis recommendation.
Scope: Conceptual approach to chronic primary (nociplastic) pain when self-management strategies are insufficient.
- Management of Major Depressive Disorder
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD suggests cognitive behavioral therapy among seven unranked psychotherapy options (weak for). Treatment strategy also depends on severity, chronicity, prior response and preference.
Scope: Adults with uncomplicated MDD choosing psychotherapy.
- Management of Major Depressive Disorder
Discussed in the source
VA/DoD strongly recommends first-line evidence-based psychotherapy, referring to the list that includes cognitive behavioral therapy. This is a class-level recommendation, with no preferred individual approach.
Scope: Pregnant or breastfeeding adults with mild-to-moderate MDD.
- Management of Major Depressive Disorder
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD suggests CBT during continuation treatment to reduce relapse or recurrence (weak for). CBT, IPT and MBCT are not ranked against one another.
Scope: Remitted MDD with high risk of relapse or recurrence.
- Management of Major Depressive Disorder
Discussed in the source
VA/DoD suggests first-line psychotherapy, including CBT, considering preferences and medication safety (weak for). The recommendation does not establish one psychotherapy as superior.
Scope: Adults aged 65 or older with mild-to-moderate MDD.
- Management of Major Depressive Disorder
Discussed in the source
VA/DoD suggests CBT-based bibliotherapy as an adjunct, or an alternative when other treatments are declined or inaccessible (weak for). This concerns a specific delivery format.
Scope: Adults with MDD; CBT-based bibliotherapy.
- Management of Bipolar Disorder
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD suggests CBT alongside pharmacotherapy (weak for). It finds insufficient evidence to prefer CBT over the other listed adjunctive psychotherapies.
Scope: Adults with bipolar I or II who are not acutely manic.
- Management of Bipolar Disorder
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD suggests CBT for residual anxiety in this defined population (weak for). This does not extend to acute mania.
Scope: Adults with fully or partially remitted bipolar disorder and residual anxiety symptoms.
- Management of First-Episode Psychosis and Schizophrenia
Discussed in the source
VA/DoD suggests psychosis-focused CBT with medication (weak for). The recommendation should not be transferred to arbitrary CBT programmes.
Scope: Adults with schizophrenia or prodromal/early psychosis.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Substance Use Disorders
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD includes CBT among treatment options: weak recommendations for alcohol and cannabis use disorders, and a strong recommendation for initial cocaine-use-disorder treatment. Preference and availability guide selection.
Scope: Adults with alcohol-, cannabis-, or cocaine-use disorder.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for Tobacco Use Treatment
Insufficient evidence for or against
VA/DoD strongly supports more intensive counseling and finds insufficient evidence to prefer another counseling approach over standard CBT. That comparative uncertainty is not a recommendation against CBT.
Scope: Behavioral counseling for adult tobacco cessation.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Chronic Multisymptom Illness
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD weakly recommends CBT, drawing substantially on indirect evidence from these symptom syndromes. This is a recommendation for managing symptoms and function, not a claim that the illness is psychological or that CBT cures it.
Scope: Chronic multisymptom illness and symptoms consistent with fibromyalgia, IBS, or ME/CFS.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management and Rehabilitation of Post-Acute Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Discussed in the source
VA/DoD discusses a brief CBT trial and describes CBT as a possible fatigue-management approach. These passages are not a separate graded CBT recommendation for treating mTBI.
Scope: Behavioral symptoms or fatigue in people with symptoms attributed to post-acute mTBI.
- Diagnosis and Treatment of Low Back Pain
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD suggests CBT for chronic low back pain with a weak recommendation. This is narrower than a recommendation for every pain condition or acute low back pain.
Scope: Adults with chronic low back pain.
- Management of Headache
Insufficient evidence for or against
VA/DoD finds insufficient evidence for or against CBT for headache. This neutral recommendation is not a recommendation against treatment.
Scope: CBT for headache treatment or prevention.
- Tinnitus
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD weakly recommends provider-delivered CBT and sound therapy combined with CBT in a multidisciplinary team. The scope is tinnitus management, not elimination of the tinnitus sound.
Scope: Adults with bothersome tinnitus; CBT delivered by a trained provider.
- Management of Adult Overweight and Obesity
Discussed in the source
VA/DoD weakly supports cognitive behavioral interventions for internalized weight stigma. The discussion defines a broad category; this is not a recommendation for CBT to treat every weight concern or an eating disorder.
Scope: Adults experiencing internalized weight bias and stigma within overweight/obesity care.
- Use of Opioids in the Management of Chronic Pain
Discussed in the source
The algorithm lists CBT as a non-opioid psychological treatment option. This sidebar is not a separately graded CBT recommendation or an opioid-use-disorder treatment guideline.
Scope: Non-opioid options within chronic pain care.
- Primary Care Management of Chronic Kidney Disease
Discussed in the source
The appendix names CBT among behavioral pain-management options, selected by availability and preference. This is ungraded guidance; much supporting evidence comes from people without kidney disease.
Scope: Adults with chronic kidney disease and chronic pain; self-management insufficient.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Primary Care Management of Asthma
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD weakly recommends CBT for these outcomes. This recommendation was carried forward without a new evidence review and does not replace usual asthma care.
Scope: Adults with asthma; asthma-related quality of life and self-reported control.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of Stroke Rehabilitation
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD weakly recommends psychotherapy and explicitly names CBT as an example. This recommendation concerns treating depression after stroke, rather than preventing stroke or restoring motor function.
Scope: Depression following stroke.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for Psychological and Other Nonpharmacological Treatment of Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Adults
Recommendation for the stated population
APA strongly recommends offering CBT for this comparison.
Scope: Adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain; CBT versus usual care or another active intervention.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for Psychological and Other Nonpharmacological Treatment of Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Adults
Discussed in the source
APA reports insufficient evidence for this comparison. The table groups these approaches without assigning separate protocol grades.
Scope: Knee osteoarthritis; the reviewed CBT/motivational-interviewing/pain-coping-skills category versus usual care.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Adults
Insufficient evidence for or against
APA finds insufficient evidence to prefer trauma-focused CBT over those comparators. Its recommendation versus no treatment or usual care does not establish superiority over active therapy.
Scope: Adults with PTSD; trauma-focused CBT versus the other active psychological treatments listed in the table.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Adults
Recommendation for the stated population
APA strongly recommends adding trauma-focused treatment in this specific combined-care comparison.
Scope: Adults with PTSD and co-occurring SUD; trauma-focused CBT plus usual SUD care versus usual SUD care alone.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Depression Across Three Age Cohorts
Insufficient evidence for or against
APA found insufficient evidence for a CBT recommendation in this age group. Adolescents have a separate recommendation.
Scope: Children with depressive disorders; initial treatment.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Depression Across Three Age Cohorts
Recommendation for the stated population
APA recommends CBT as one initial psychotherapy option.
Scope: Adolescents with depressive disorders; initial treatment, excluding psychotic depression.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Depression Across Three Age Cohorts
Recommendation for the stated population
For combined treatment, APA recommends CBT plus a second-generation antidepressant. It does not identify a superior psychotherapy monotherapy.
Scope: Adult depressive disorders, excluding psychotic depression; bipolar disorder is outside scope.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Depression Across Three Age Cohorts
Recommendation for the stated population
APA recommends group CBT over no treatment.
Scope: Adults aged 60 or older with MDD; group CBT, alone or added to usual care.
- mhGAP: brief structured psychological treatment for depression
Recommendation for the stated population
WHO strongly recommends structured psychological interventions including CBT for this population, based on moderate-certainty evidence.
Scope: Adults with moderate-to-severe depression, within the mhGAP non-specialist-care context.
- mhGAP: brief structured psychological interventions for anxiety
Recommendation for the stated population
WHO strongly recommends brief structured interventions based on CBT principles for GAD/panic, based on moderate-certainty evidence.
Scope: Adults with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder, within the mhGAP non-specialist-care context.
- Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) guideline for mental, neurological and substance use disorders
Recommendation for the stated population
WHO includes individual, group and digital trauma-focused CBT in a conditional recommendation. The 2023 guideline book rates certainty as low, while WHO’s web summary reports moderate quality; that discrepancy remains unresolved. Delivery requires appropriate training and supervision.
Scope: Adults with PTSD, within the mhGAP non-specialist-care context.
- Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) guideline for mental, neurological and substance use disorders
Recommendation for the stated population
WHO conditionally recommends considering CBT, with low-certainty evidence. The 2023 edition retains the 2015 recommendation because eligible new evidence was insufficient; suitability requires an individual assessment.
Scope: People living with dementia and mild-to-moderate depression.
- Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) guideline for mental, neurological and substance use disorders
Recommendation for the stated population
WHO conditionally recommends considering CBT among the listed non-pharmacological interventions, with low-certainty evidence. This does not equate CBT with cognitive stimulation or cognitive training.
Scope: People living with dementia.
- Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) guideline for mental, neurological and substance use disorders
Discussed in the source
WHO strongly recommends psychosocial interventions incorporating CBT, psychoeducation and family-focused approaches, with low-certainty evidence. This is a prevention recommendation for a defined group, rather than a general child-disorder treatment recommendation.
Scope: Children whose parents have mental health conditions; prevention of depression and anxiety.
- Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) guideline for mental, neurological and substance use disorders
Recommendation for the stated population
WHO strongly recommends CBT, with moderate-certainty evidence. The discussion emphasizes adaptations and the ability to engage with CBT; it does not establish identical suitability across all developmental or communication needs.
Scope: Children and adolescents with autism who have anxiety.
- Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) guideline for mental, neurological and substance use disorders
Recommendation for the stated population
WHO includes individual and group face-to-face trauma-focused CBT in a strong recommendation based on moderate-certainty evidence. Clinicians need relevant training and demonstrated competence; lay providers require comprehensive training and close supervision.
Scope: Children and adolescents with PTSD.
- Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) guideline for mental, neurological and substance use disorders
Recommendation for the stated population
WHO conditionally recommends individual CBT and other listed psychological interventions as adjuncts to pharmacological treatment, with low-certainty evidence. This concerns maintenance in remission, not acute mania or a blanket depression recommendation.
Scope: Adults with bipolar disorder in remission.
- Psychosocial support for psychostimulant use disorders
Recommendation for the stated population
WHO strongly recommends CBT, with low-certainty evidence. This finding is specific to cocaine and stimulant dependence, rather than all substance use conditions.
Scope: Adults with cocaine or stimulant dependence.
- Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) guideline for mental, neurological and substance use disorders
Discussed in the source
CBT is discussed within the reviewed psychosocial interventions. WHO conditionally recommends structured psychosocial treatment as a group, with low-certainty evidence, while noting uncertainty about individual therapy types versus usual care.
Scope: Adults with alcohol dependence.
- Self-harm: assessment, management and preventing recurrence (NG225)
Recommendation for the stated population
NICE says to offer a tailored intervention and explicitly names CBT and problem-solving therapy. This does not endorse every generic protocol or establish a reduction in suicide deaths.
Scope: Adults who have self-harmed; a structured, person-centred CBT-informed intervention tailored to their needs.
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management (NG87)
Recommendation for the stated population
NICE says the required ADHD-focused psychological support may include CBT components or a full course; CBT is not compulsory or universally first-line.
Scope: Adults with ADHD in the specified indications for non-drug or combined care.
- Chronic pain (primary and secondary) in over 16s (NG193)
Recommendation for the stated population
NICE says to consider pain-focused CBT; outcomes and evidence limitations are described separately from other pain diagnoses.
Scope: Chronic primary pain, age 16 and over; trained pain-focused CBT.
- Sexual and Reproductive Health: Management of Erectile Dysfunction
Recommendation for the stated population
EAU gives a strong recommendation for this indicated combined-care use; it does not cover every sexual dysfunction.
Scope: Men with erectile dysfunction; indicated CBT involving the partner and combined with medical treatment.
- Depression in adults: treatment and management (NG222)
- Focus
- Skill-building
- Format
- Individual + Group
- Duration
- Short-term
Condition-specific assessments
Each conclusion applies to the population and use described. These source-based assessments do not certify the full entry or replace expert clinical review.
Suicidality & Self-Harm
Population and scope: Suicide-focused CBT for adults with recent suicidal behavior or a history of self-directed violence; separately, CBT-informed care tailored to adults who self-harm.
Guideline recommendation
VA/DoD 2024 weakly suggests suicide-focused CBT to reduce attempts in patients with suicidal behavior in the past six months (recommendation 5), and to reduce ideation in people with a history of self-directed violence (recommendation 6). NICE NG225 1.11.3 offers a CBT-informed intervention tailored to adults who self-harm. These are distinct populations and outcomes; they do not endorse every generic CBT protocol or establish fewer suicide deaths.
Source assessment dated
Sexual Dysfunction & Intimacy Concerns
Population and scope: Men with erectile dysfunction, when an ED-focused cognitive behavioural intervention is indicated, including the partner and combined with medical treatment.
Guideline recommendation
EAU 2026 section 5.6.12 gives a strong recommendation for CBT in this indicated, combined-care context; section 5.6.4 describes psychosocial approaches. Medical and sexual assessment remains part of ED care. This does not establish CBT as sole treatment, grade every CBT protocol, or cover every sexual dysfunction or intimacy concern.
Source assessment dated
Adult ADHD
Population and scope: Adults with ADHD when non-pharmacological treatment is indicated: medication declined after an informed choice, adherence difficulties, ineffective or intolerable medication; or residual significant impairment despite medication benefit.
Guideline recommendation
NICE NG87 1.5.16–1.5.18 advises considering non-drug care in these circumstances and requires ADHD-focused structured psychological support with regular follow-up when it is used. This care may include CBT components or a full CBT course. Medication remains an offered treatment when significant impairment persists after environmental adjustments (1.5.15). The guideline does not make generic CBT compulsory or universally first-line, and does not separately endorse every therapy described as supportive. NICE bases the optional CBT element on committee experience; its comparative evidence supported medication as first-line treatment for adults. This guideline recommendation does not itself establish comparative CBT efficacy.
Source assessment dated
Chronic Pain & Somatic Symptoms
Population and scope: People aged 16 and over with chronic primary pain, receiving CBT specifically adapted for pain from an appropriately trained healthcare professional.
Guideline recommendation
NICE NG193 1.2.3 says to consider pain-focused CBT. Its rationale describes quality-of-life benefits, inconsistent effects on other outcomes and evidence limitations; it does not establish reliable pain reduction or superiority to ACT. This assessment does not cover every secondary pain condition, somatic symptom disorder or generic CBT.
Source assessment dated
Depression & Mood Disorders
Population and scope: Adults with unipolar depression/MDD receiving a depression-specific CBT protocol; treatment intensity and combination with medication depend on severity, history and preference.
Guideline recommendation
NICE NG222 includes manual-based CBT among options for new episodes of less and more severe adult depression, selected through shared decision-making. For less severe episodes, it advises considering guided self-help first. VA/DoD 2022 recommends psychotherapy or medication monotherapy for uncomplicated MDD and weakly suggests CBT among seven named, unranked psychotherapies. For severe, persistent or recurrent MDD, VA/DoD instead weakly suggests combining evidence-based psychotherapy with medication; NICE also lists combined individual CBT and an antidepressant for more severe depression. These recommendations support depression-specific CBT, without establishing that it is always preferable to other therapies or that every CBT adaptation has equivalent support. This assessment does not cover bipolar depression or children.
Source assessment dated
- NICE NG222 (2022), adult depression: recommendation 1.5.2
- NICE NG222 (2022), adult depression: Table 1
- NICE NG222 (2022), adult depression: recommendation 1.6.1
- NICE NG222 (2022), adult depression: Table 2
- VA/DoD 2022, major depressive disorder guideline, PDF p. 23
- VA/DoD 2022, major depressive disorder guideline, PDF p. 43
Anxiety Disorders
Population and scope: Adults with GAD at step 3, moderate-to-severe panic disorder, or social anxiety disorder; use the disorder-specific CBT protocol and delivery recommended for each diagnosis.
Guideline recommendation
NICE CG113 offers high-intensity CBT or applied relaxation when adults with GAD have marked impairment or insufficient response to lower-intensity care; it does not prefer psychological treatment over medication regardless of patient preference. For moderate-to-severe panic disorder, it says to consider referral for CBT, delivered by suitably trained and supervised practitioners using established protocols. For adult social anxiety, NICE CG159 offers individual CBT specifically based on the Clark and Wells or Heimberg model; group CBT is not routinely preferred. These are three diagnosis-specific recommendations with different formats and treatment steps. They do not endorse every CBT adaptation for all anxiety presentations, or establish that a generic CBT course is interchangeable with the named protocols.
Source assessment dated
- NICE CG113 (2011), GAD and panic: recommendation 1.2.17
- NICE CG113 (2011), GAD and panic: recommendation 1.2.18
- NICE CG113 (2011), GAD and panic: recommendation 1.2.19
- NICE CG113 (2011), GAD and panic: recommendation 1.3.12
- NICE CG113 (2011), GAD and panic: recommendation 1.3.14
- NICE CG159 (2013), social anxiety: recommendation 1.3.2
- NICE CG159 (2013), social anxiety: recommendation 1.3.3
- NICE CG113 1.3.13 (2011): CBT within the psychological-intervention pathway
Perinatal Mental Health
Population and scope: Adults with depression during pregnancy or after birth, or a perinatal anxiety disorder (NICE CG192 describes its source population as women); intensity and protocol depend on diagnosis and severity. VA’s initial-psychotherapy recommendation specifically concerns mild-to-moderate MDD during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Guideline recommendation
NICE CG192 considers high-intensity psychological treatment, such as CBT, for moderate or severe depression during pregnancy or the postnatal period; combination with medication is an option after limited response to either alone. For perinatal anxiety disorders, recommendation 1.8.9 specifies diagnosis-appropriate intensity, including high-intensity care for PTSD and initial treatment of social anxiety. Recommendation 1.9.5 separately names trauma-focused CBT or EMDR for PTSD after birth or loss events. VA/DoD 2022 strongly recommends an evidence-based psychotherapy first for pregnant or breastfeeding people with mild-to-moderate MDD, explicitly referring to its named therapies including CBT. That recommendation was carried forward, with low confidence in the evidence. These positions do not mean all perinatal distress requires high-intensity CBT, or that effective medication should automatically be stopped.
Source assessment dated
- NICE CG192 (2014), perinatal mental health: recommendation 1.8.1
- NICE CG192 (2014), perinatal mental health: recommendation 1.8.3
- NICE CG192 (2014), perinatal mental health: recommendation 1.8.8
- NICE CG192 (2014), perinatal mental health: recommendation 1.8.9
- VA/DoD 2022, major depressive disorder guideline, PDF p. 56
- VA/DoD 2022, major depressive disorder guideline, PDF p. 23
- NICE CG192 (2014), perinatal mental health: recommendation 1.9.5
Substance Use & Addictions
Population and scope: Adults with harmful drinking or mild alcohol dependence, using CBT focused on alcohol-related problems.
Guideline recommendation
NICE CG115 recommendation 1.3.3.1 offers an alcohol-focused psychological intervention, including cognitive behavioral therapies, for this population; 1.3.3.5 describes delivery. This assessment covers that alcohol-specific application of CBT, not every substance-use diagnosis or the medical management of withdrawal.
Source assessment dated
Eating Disorders
Population and scope: Adults with binge-eating disorder or bulimia nervosa, using eating-disorder-focused CBT in the treatment sequence specified by NICE.
Guideline recommendation
NICE NG69 offers group CBT-ED for adult binge-eating disorder when guided self-help is unsuitable or ineffective after four weeks (1.4.4); individual CBT-ED may be considered if group treatment is unavailable or declined (1.4.6). For adult bulimia nervosa, individual CBT-ED may be considered after the corresponding guided-self-help step (1.5.4). This is diagnosis-specific CBT-ED guidance, not a recommendation for all eating disorders or a particular CBT-E manual.
Source assessment dated
Psychosis & Schizophrenia Spectrum
Population and scope: Adults with psychosis or schizophrenia receiving manualized individual CBT for psychosis (CBTp), within the recommended treatment pathway.
Guideline recommendation
NICE offers psychosis-specific CBT, with at least 16 individual sessions. First-episode care combines it with antipsychotic medication and family intervention; psychological-only preference requires prompt review and monitoring. This assessment applies to CBTp, not an unspecified generic CBT protocol.
Source assessment dated
IPT
- Tradition
- Integrative
- Founder
- Klerman / Weissman (1984)
- Review status
- 3 condition assessments available
- Official sources
Guidelines and official sources (15)
15 clinical guideline checks
Read the recommendation and its scope. A source may discuss an approach without recommending it.
- Depression in adults: treatment and management (NG222)
Recommendation for the stated population
IPT is a named adult depression treatment option.
Scope: Adults with depression
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Depression Across Three Age Cohorts
Recommendation for the stated population
APA does not select one adult psychotherapy monotherapy as superior. It includes IPT and specifically recommends IPT or CBT plus a second-generation antidepressant when combined treatment is chosen.
Scope: Adult depressive disorders excluding psychotic depression; bipolar disorder is outside the guideline scope. Initial monotherapy choice or combined treatment.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of PTSD and Acute Stress Disorder
Insufficient evidence for or against
VA/DoD finds insufficient evidence for or against IPT for PTSD. This assessment does not determine its status for other conditions.
Scope: Individual psychotherapy for adults with PTSD.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Pregnancy
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD strongly recommends offering IPT for prevention in this at-risk population. Treatment of an existing depressive episode is addressed separately.
Scope: Pregnant patients at risk of perinatal depression; individual or group delivery.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Pregnancy
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD strongly recommends IPT for treating perinatal depression.
Scope: Depression during pregnancy or postpartum.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Pregnancy
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD weakly suggests psychotherapy, naming IPT as an example, or yoga or both for this population.
Scope: Anxiety symptoms during or after pregnancy.
- Management of Major Depressive Disorder
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD suggests interpersonal therapy among seven unranked psychotherapy options (weak for). Treatment strategy also depends on severity, chronicity, prior response and preference.
Scope: Adults with uncomplicated MDD choosing psychotherapy.
- Management of Major Depressive Disorder
Discussed in the source
VA/DoD strongly recommends first-line evidence-based psychotherapy, referring to the list that includes interpersonal therapy. This is a class-level recommendation, with no preferred individual approach.
Scope: Pregnant or breastfeeding adults with mild-to-moderate MDD.
- Management of Major Depressive Disorder
Recommendation for the stated population
VA/DoD suggests IPT during continuation treatment to reduce relapse or recurrence (weak for). CBT, IPT and MBCT are not ranked against one another.
Scope: Remitted MDD with high risk of relapse or recurrence.
- Management of Bipolar Disorder
Discussed in the source
VA/DoD suggests interpersonal and social rhythm therapy alongside medication (weak for). That combined protocol is distinct from IPT alone.
Scope: Adults with bipolar I or II who are not acutely manic.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Adults
Insufficient evidence for or against
APA finds insufficient evidence to recommend for or against IPT in this comparison.
Scope: Adults with PTSD; IPT versus no intervention or usual care.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Depression Across Three Age Cohorts
Recommendation for the stated population
APA recommends IPT-A as an initial psychotherapy option.
Scope: Adolescents with depressive disorders; the adolescent adaptation IPT-A, excluding psychotic depression.
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Depression Across Three Age Cohorts
Recommendation for the stated population
APA recommends combined treatment, favoring a second-generation antidepressant on tolerability grounds.
Scope: Adults aged 60 or older with MDD; combined medication and IPT versus IPT alone.
- mhGAP: brief structured psychological treatment for depression
Recommendation for the stated population
WHO strongly recommends structured psychological interventions including IPT for this population, based on moderate-certainty evidence.
Scope: Adults with moderate-to-severe depression, within the mhGAP non-specialist-care context.
- Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) guideline for mental, neurological and substance use disorders
Recommendation for the stated population
WHO conditionally recommends considering IPT, with low-certainty evidence. The 2023 edition retains the 2015 recommendation because eligible new evidence was insufficient; suitability requires an individual assessment.
Scope: People living with dementia and mild-to-moderate depression.
- Depression in adults: treatment and management (NG222)
- Focus
- Relational + Skill
- Format
- Individual
- Duration
- Short (12-16)
Condition-specific assessments
Each conclusion applies to the population and use described. These source-based assessments do not certify the full entry or replace expert clinical review.
Depression & Mood Disorders
Population and scope: Adults with unipolar depression/MDD receiving manual-based interpersonal psychotherapy; separately, people in remission at high risk of relapse or recurrence receiving continuation-phase IPT.
Guideline recommendation
NICE NG222 includes individual, manual-based IPT among treatments for both less and more severe new episodes of adult depression. VA/DoD 2022 weakly suggests IPT among seven unranked psychotherapy options for MDD. It separately weakly suggests a course of IPT, CBT or MBCT after remission for people at high risk of relapse or recurrence, without preferring one of those three. Initial treatment and relapse prevention therefore have different populations and phases. This supports IPT for the stated adult depression contexts, not a universal ranking alongside CBT as the only two leading treatments. The assessment does not cover bipolar depression or interpersonal approaches that do not follow an IPT protocol.
Source assessment dated
- NICE NG222 (2022), adult depression: recommendation 1.5.2
- NICE NG222 (2022), adult depression: Table 1
- NICE NG222 (2022), adult depression: recommendation 1.6.1
- NICE NG222 (2022), adult depression: Table 2
- VA/DoD 2022, major depressive disorder guideline, PDF p. 23
- VA/DoD 2022, major depressive disorder guideline, PDF p. 55
Perinatal Mental Health
Population and scope: Pregnant or breastfeeding adults with mild-to-moderate MDD who are choosing initial psychotherapy; manual-based interpersonal therapy, not generic relationship support.
Guideline recommendation
VA/DoD 2022 strongly recommends offering an evidence-based psychotherapy first for mild-to-moderate MDD during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and explicitly cross-refers to its therapy list, which includes IPT. The recommendation’s discussion identifies postpartum CBT/IPT evidence and does not prefer one psychotherapy over another. This supports IPT as one named option within that scoped recommendation; the strong rating concerns choosing psychotherapy in this population, not proof that IPT is superior. The recommendation was carried forward from earlier guidance with low evidence confidence. It does not establish efficacy for perinatal anxiety, bipolar depression, postpartum psychosis or every pregnancy/postpartum difficulty. Decisions about established medication treatment remain individualized.
Source assessment dated
Eating Disorders
Population and scope: Adults with binge-eating disorder, receiving eating-disorder-focused interpersonal therapy individually or in a group.
Guideline recommendation
American Psychiatric Association 2023 statement 15 recommends eating-disorder-focused CBT or interpersonal therapy in individual or group formats (1C: recommendation; low-strength supporting evidence). This assessment is limited to binge-eating disorder and does not imply the same recommendation for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or other eating disorders.
Source assessment dated
How they work
CBT
Core mechanism: Identifying and restructuring cognitive distortions + behavioral experiments + exposure reduces maladaptive appraisals and avoidance
Ontology: Dysfunctional cognitions (automatic thoughts, core beliefs) that distort appraisal of self, world, and future
IPT
Core mechanism: Improving interpersonal functioning in one of four problem areas (grief, disputes, transitions, deficits) alleviates depression
Ontology: Depression occurs in an interpersonal context; improving relationships and social roles improves mood
Related condition topics
These editorial cross-references organize reading. A shared link does not mean both approaches are effective, recommended, or interchangeable for that condition.
3 shared · 9 CBT-only · 1 IPT-only
Linked to both entries
Linked only in the CBT entry
Linked only in the IPT entry
What each assumes — and misses
CBT
Philosophical roots: Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius (Stoic appraisal theory: it is not things that disturb us but our judgments); Kant (rational autonomy); Popper (falsifiability as therapeutic method); Ellis cited Stoics explicitly
Blind spots: May underemphasize attachment history, relational dynamics, and the therapeutic relationship itself as mechanism of change
Therapeutic voice: What evidence do you have for the thought that nobody cares about you?
IPT
Philosophical roots: Sullivan (interpersonal psychiatry: personality is the pattern of interpersonal situations); Meyer (psychobiology); Durkheim (social integration and anomie); Bowlby (attachment/loss)
Blind spots: Focused scope (4 problem areas) may miss broader personality patterns; less suited for complex or chronic presentations
Therapeutic voice: It sounds like this grief hasn't had a place to go since your mother died. Let's make room for it here.
Choosing between them
CBT (Cognitive-Behavioral) and IPT (Integrative) come from different traditions, which means they assume different things about what a person is, what causes suffering, and what the therapeutic relationship is for. The choice between them is often less about "which works better" and more about which set of assumptions fits the client and the therapist.
For deeper coverage: see the full CBT and IPT pages, or use the interactive comparison tool to add more modalities to this comparison.