ABSTRACT
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the administration of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) either face-to-face or online. This systematic review aims to assess the effectiveness of CBT and Internet-Delivered CBT (iCBT) in treating depression and anxiety disorders during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Methods: Three independent reviewers searched the Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Clinical Trial Databases using specific search phrases. PubMed searches included “Cognitive Behavioural Therapy/Intervention” and “COVID-19” and “2019 Coronavirus Disease” or “2019-nCoV”, “internet-administered/internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy, CBT, cognitive behavioural treatment”. Two independent reviewers evaluated the risk of bias at the study level, with disagreements settled through discussion with other research team members. The study findings were reported as per the PRISMA guidelines.
Results: Thirty-one studies met the inclusion criteria, and 17 were randomised controlled trials. The studies demonstrated that CBT and iCBT effectively treated depression and anxiety disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a hybrid CBT modality was more beneficial from a long-term perspective.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that CBT and iCBT effectively treat depression and anxiety disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, further research is needed to establish these interventions’ long-term effectiveness and identify the optimal mode of delivery for different populations.
