56 studies were done to understand how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helped people with disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.  One of the main goals of these studies were to make sure that the results found in the lab were still applicable to real life settings (ie would this treatment really work in the real world).   These studies showed that CBT is both efficacious and effective.  While CBT remains the “gold standard” for treating adults with anxiety disorders like the ones mentioned above, there is still room from further analysis and improvement.  Leaving CBT in a gray zone for exact magnitude of effectiveness. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Anxiety Disorders

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) seeks to reduce the severity of attachment the individual feels towards their specific object by targeting and challenging maladaptive, dysfunctional beliefs, in addition to adapting non-acquiring and discarding exposure activities. Research has shown this form of intervention has helped reduce extreme object attachment behaviors in approximately 27% of individuals experiencing clinically significant hoarding symptoms. 

Cognitive behavioral therapy efficacy on object attachment behavior

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy is one of the most common therapy treatments for anxiety disorders (specific or general) and depression.

University of California, Davis

Syracuse University

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) was one of the original treatments for mental disorders like depression and anxiety.  While CBT is still a very popular treatment, mindfulness-based interventions like Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) have been shown to be as effective as CBT, creating the "new" types of treatment.

Mindfulness Interventions in Patients with Depression and Anxiety

Otte C. (2011). Cognitive behavioral therapy in anxiety disorders: current state of the evidence. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 13(4), 413–421. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2011.13.4/cotte

Cognitive behavioral therapy in anxiety disorders: current state of the evidence

Improved sleep quality due to mindfulness meditation within mindfulness-based cognitive therapy could be the mediator between mindfulness, improved depression, and lowered relapse risk because mindfulness meditation reduces sympathetic hyperarousal and decreases negative emotions such as anxiety, stress, and rumination that can contribute to insomnia.

Sleep quality as a potential mediator between mindfulness and depression relapse

Some researchers believe that mindfulness is a natural state, so they searched for predictors of mindfulness.  Predictors they looked at included openness to experience and attentional control.  During their study they looked at trait anxiety, attachment anxiety and attentional control. Due to anxiety blocking many of the predictors they tested for, it was concluded that anxiety (both specific and general) is agonistic to mindfulness.  So, because anxiety turns anxious people away from mindfulness, it makes sense to help treat anxiety with mindfulness-based interventions.

Natural Mindfulness and Anxiety

Cognitive-Behavioral therapy has been deemed an "umbrella term" for a conceptual model of treatment versus a single approach. Mindfulness-based interventions are similar to Cognitive-Behavioral therapy because they target core processes, such as increased emotional awareness and regulation, cognitive flexibility, and goals-based behaviors. Combining mindfulness and CBT has created Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

Super Treatment: Combining Mindfulness and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Mindfulness-based interventions such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) are shown to decrease symptom severity of anxiety disorders and depression

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