Cognitive Processes Underlying the Behavior Change in Cognitive Behavior Therapy with Childhood Disorders: A Review of Experimental Evidence

While Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) has been widely used for treatment of childhood disorders, the process underlying the success of CBT in this area is still unclear. This paper attempts to examine empirically the above issue, using the literature from 1974 to 1989 to see whether there is support for the underlying changes in cognitive processes that are assumed to mediate the therapy. The results show that while CBT is relatively effective in treating some childhood disorders, there is little empirical evidence to support the underlying cognitive models of childhood disorders. © 1991, British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies. All rights reserved.