Nursing Practice and Research Trends Pertaining to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Japan: A Systematic Review

This study systematically reviewed case studies and outcome research relating to nurse-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in Japan. The review revealed the following findings: (1) CBT was used in various nursing areas, but mainly for mental disorders; (2) In many of the cases, nurse-delivered CBT was provided to hospitalized patients; (3) The majority of existing outcome research has reported positive outcomes following the use of CBT; however, the target groups and research designs varied widely across the studies; (4) Most studies did not report the quality control methods taken during CBT, such as the manner in which therapy sessions were supervised during interventions. These findings suggest a need for the development of an education or training system that includes ongoing supervision, the inclusion of basic education about CBT in the curricula of nursing education programs, and outcome research aimed at examining the effectiveness of nurse-delivered CBT.