Interventions have been developed to increase treatment engagement among individuals with behavioral health problems, yet over 50% of individuals do not receive treatment. New interventions are needed to address unmet treatment needs by promoting treatment-seeking behaviors.

This paper reviews the development, pilot testing, and empirical findings of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Treatment-Seeking (CBT-TS), a novel intervention designed to increase treatment-seeking behaviors. We discuss the findings of nine CBT-TS intervention trials among adults with a variety of behavioral health diagnoses (e.g., depression, alcohol use, suicidal ideation).

CBT-TS was developed to focus on cognitive factors that predict treatment-seeking behaviors, implementation outside of existing treatment systems, flexible administration (in-person or phone), and applicability to diverse populations. CBT-TS has demonstrated efficacy in improving behavioral health treatment utilization. Populations studied include military service members, veterans and community adults presenting with alcohol use disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and comorbid diagnoses. Follow-up periods ranged from 1- to 12-months and examined the percentage of participants initiating and/or sustaining treatment engagement, qualitative findings of beliefs endorsed, and reductions in behavioral health symptoms.

CBT-TS shows tremendous promise as a brief, evidence-based intervention to improve treatment-seeking behaviors among diverse populations. Opportunities exist to expand CBT-TS across populations such as individuals in rural settings, and among other diagnostic groups such as individuals with chronic pain. Further study is warranted to identify reasons for the variability of treatment initiation rates and its potential to increase treatment engagement and completion.