Chinese Taoist Cognitive Therapy for Common Psychiatric Symptoms and Disorders: An Update and Future Perspectives

Chinese Taoist cognitive therapy (CTCT) is a culture-oriented cognitive psychological therapy developed by Chinese psychiatrists. In this paper, we reviewed the published studies in the past years that investigated possible effects of CTCT in the treatment of common psychiatric symptoms and disorders. In summary, the current literature provided relatively ample evidence that CTCT can help to reduce depressive symptoms in both clinical and non-clinical Chinese populations. A relatively large number of studies also supported the opinion that CTCT can help to relieve anxiety in participants with anxiety disorders. Some other studies also suggested that insomnia, cognitive impairment, and alcohol dependence can be treated by CTCT; however, such conclusions might be considered as exploratory before they are repeated. Further studies can be conducted in larger sample sizes to provide more solid evidence, and in participants with other psychiatric symptoms/disorders that have not been investigated.