CBT is commonly used for which conditions?

• A. Depression, anxiety, and phobic behavior
• B. Depression only
• C. Anxiety only
• D. Phobic behavior only

Answer: (A)

CBT targets how thoughts, feelings, and actions reinforce each other and uses practical techniques to change thinking patterns and behaviors. For depression, it helps identify and challenge negative beliefs, track mood, and increase activities that are rewarding, which can improve mood. For anxiety, it teaches recognizing distorted worries, practicing coping skills, and using gradual exposure to reduce avoidance. For phobic behavior, CBT typically involves graded exposure to the feared stimulus along with cognitive strategies to manage fear, leading to reduced avoidance over time. Because CBT addresses mood problems as well as fear-based worries and phobic responses, it is commonly used for depression, anxiety, and phobic behavior—the most comprehensive option. Restricting CBT to only one condition misses its broad applicability across these areas.