Background: Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is acknowledged as the most empirically supported psychotherapy treatment for depression. CBT for depression was first developed by Aaron Beck in the 1960s, and since then it has been expanded and studied extensively. Purpose: This paper provides a brief overview of depression and summarizes evidence supporting the effectiveness of CBT for depression management. Findings: At present, treatments for depression incorporate antidepressant medications, psychotherapies such as CBT, electroconvulsive therapy, support groups, and counseling in outpatient clinic. Nevertheless, there is emerging evidence that CBT is effective on treating depression in diverse patient groups. Furthermore, CBT’s effects on the symptoms of depression are similar to the effects of medication in the short-term. More research needs to be done to establish whether CBT is superior to other available, but less researched, forms of psychotherapy. Implications For Nursing Practice: Psychiatric nurses have an important role in providing CBT as a means of satisfying patient expectations and quality improvement. Offering proper CBT training programmes for the psychiatric nurses is imperative. Moreover, nursing education programmes should make steps towards integration of CBT into nursing curriculum.
