Evaluating Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Outcomes for Depression and Anxiety:Adapting the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Model for Japan

Background: The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme launched in 2008 in the United Kingdom has improved access to cost-effective cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for treating depression and anxiety. Inspired by this model, a two-year training course was launched in Japan to train therapists to practise CBT. In this study, we analysed the patient data collected from this programme.Methods: We collected observational data from 31 trained therapists who delivered high-intensity face-to-face CBT sessions. A total of 290 patients participated in the study; 241 met the inclusion criteria. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the Japanese versions of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 questionnaire (GAD-7), respectively and statistical analyses were performed to compare the pre- and post-treatment scores. Reliable improvement and recovery rates were assessed based on established thresholds.Results: Before the treatment, the mean PHQ-9 score was 11.5 (SD = 6.4) and the mean GAD-7 score was 10.0 (SD = 5.2). No significant differences were found between male and female participants. The outcome classification showed that before the treatment, 32.4% of the participants suffered from severe depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 15) and 20.3% from severe anxiety (GAD-7 ≥ 15). The statistical analysis confirmed a significant improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms after the treatment (p < .05): 168 participants (69.7%) showed reliable improvement and 58 participants (35%) showed reliable recovery.Conclusion: The IAPT-adapted CBT model in Japan is feasible despite differences in the healthcare system; however, further consideration is needed to improve the rate of reliable recovery. Future studies should improve implementation strategies, expand the patient database, and evaluate the long-term treatment effects.