Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy:

What is it?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a structured, goal-oriented type of talk therapy. It can help manage mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, and emotional concerns, such as coping with grief or stress. CBT can also help manage non-psychological health conditions, such as insomnia and chronic pain.

How does it work?

Cognitive behavioral therapy is an evidence-based treatment that’s grounded in theory and skill-based dialogue (conversations). It provides a supportive, nonjudgmental and safe environment that allows you to talk openly with a mental health professional who’s objective and specially trained to help you with the issues you’re having.

Cognitive behavioral therapy usually takes place over a limited number of sessions (typically five to 20). You shouldn’t expect results immediately. CBT usually takes time and sometimes involves uncomfortable work. Think of your therapist as a partner working with you through a process. If you keep working together toward the goals you’ve set, you’ll be able to mark your progress over time¹.

What is the efficacy?

Method: Two intervention-based studies evaluated the effectiveness of CBT in women with moderate-to-severe PMS. One was a quasi-experimental study involving 32 female dormitory residents in Iran who received eight sessions of group CBT, while the control group received no intervention. The other was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 92 female university students in Iran, where the intervention group underwent internet-based CBT (ICBT) over two menstrual cycles, and the control group was wait-listed.^2,3

Results: Both studies reported significant reductions in PMS symptoms following CBT interventions. Group CBT improved psychological and social symptoms (p = 0.012), while ICBT led to a greater reduction in total PMS scores (p < 0.001) and enhanced perimenstrual quality of life. ICBT also improved disability levels and attitudes toward menstruation. No significant change was noted in quality of life during the late follicular phase.

Conclusion: Both group-based and internet-delivered CBT were effective in reducing PMS symptoms, particularly psychological and behavioral aspects. CBT, especially internet-based, offers a non-pharmacological, accessible, and effective strategy for managing PMS in young women, with high feasibility and participant satisfaction.

Side Effects:

With some forms of CBT, such as exposure therapy, you may need to face situations you'd rather avoid, such as airplanes if you have a fear of flying. This can lead to short-term stress or anxiety.

There is hardly any scientific research on the possible side effects of psychotherapy.⁴

References

1. American Psychological Association. What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? [Internet]. Washington (DC): American Psychological Association; [cited 2025 Apr 23]. Available from: https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/cognitive-behavioral

2. Maddineshat M, Keyvanloo S, Lashkardoost H, Arki M, Tabatabaeichehr M. Effectiveness of group cognitive-behavioral therapy on symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Iran J Psychiatry. 2016;11(1):30–36.

3. Borji-Navan S, Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi S, Esmaeilpour K, Mirghafourvand M, Ahmadian-Khooinarood A. Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy for premenstrual syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. BMC women's health. 2022 Jan 8;22(1):5.

4. InformedHealth.org. In brief: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) [Internet]. Cologne (DE): Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2015 [cited 2025 Apr 23]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279297/