Integrating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Into Primary Care Settings

• Over half of mental health issues in the U.S. are treated in primary care, not including health behavior interventions.
• Integrating evidence-based CBT interventions into primary care has implications for improving outcomes.
• Guidance is lacking for how to adapt and apply CBT interventions in primary care settings.
• This special series presents strategies for implementing CBT in primary care settings.

This article serves as an introduction to the first issue of the Cognitive and Behavioral Practice special series on cognitive-behavioral practice in medical settings. This first issue of our two-part series focuses on strategies and recommendations for integrating cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) into primary care settings and the unique challenges primary care in particular presents. Our subsequent issue will focus on the implementation of CBT in other, more specialized forms of medical care, including cancer treatment and HIV care.