The Perception of Therapists on the Effectiveness of CBT in Altering Mental Well-Being

Abstract

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has gained support over the past few years due to the more popularized perception of researchers and therapists for its ability to help patients suffering from mood disorders. Moreover, it is currently being used alongside a variety of techniques and other treatments. In the past, research has focused on the ability of CBT to mitigate physical symptoms, including fatigue and high heart rate, that emerge from mood disorders. In an attempt to fill in the gap by focusing on mental well-being as opposed to physical symptoms, this study aimed to establish how the perceptions of therapists showcase the effectiveness of CBT in altering the mental well-being of patients with mood disorders. In order to gain an in-depth understanding towards this concept, interviews were conducted with cognitive behavioral therapists in Indiana. Ultimately, this research led to 2 main conclusions: CBT and mental well-being are connected, and the extent to the effectiveness of CBT depends on the specific tools that are utilized. Specifically, when utilizing the CBT tools of testing logic and homework, mental well-being was seen to improve, while when utilizing the tools of confronting fears and enneagram tests, no effect was seen on mental well-being. Future research, however, must be conducted in order to further the idea of altering a patient’s mental well-being as it relates to different population samples and other forms of therapy.