Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a widely used therapeutic approach for various psychological problems. This review summarizes 269 meta-analytic studies, focusing on CBT's efficacy for conditions such as substance use disorder, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, eating disorders, insomnia, personality disorders, anger, aggression, criminal behaviors, general stress, and distress related to medical conditions, pregnancy, and hormonal changes. The strongest evidence supports CBT for anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, bulimia, anger control, and general stress. Eleven studies compared CBT with other treatments, with CBT showing higher response rates in seven reviews. The evidence base for CBT is strong, but more research is needed, especially for specific subgroups like ethnic minorities and low-income populations. CBT is effective for treating cannabis and nicotine dependence but less so for opioid and alcohol dependence. For schizophrenia, CBT helps with positive symptoms and secondary outcomes but is less effective than other treatments for chronic symptoms. For depression and dysthymia, CBT shows mixed results, with some studies indicating strong evidence and others weak support. CBT is consistently effective for anxiety disorders, with large effect sizes for obsessive-compulsive disorder and medium to large for social anxiety, panic disorder, and PTSD. CBT is also effective for somatoform disorders like hypochondriasis and body dysmorphic disorder. For eating disorders, CBT is more effective than other psychotherapies for bulimia but less so for binge eating. CBT is effective for insomnia, with large effect sizes for sleep quality and total sleep time. For personality disorders, CBT is somewhat more effective than other psychosocial treatments, but results vary. CBT is effective for criminal behaviors, with behavior therapy and CBT showing superior recidivism reduction. For chronic pain and fatigue, CBT is moderately effective, with small to medium effect sizes. CBT is effective for treating perinatal and postnatal depression, though results need caution. For elderly adults, CBT is more effective than waiting list controls but similar to other active treatments. CBT is effective for stress management, but more research is needed on long-term effects. For chronic medical conditions, there is a lack of studies and methodological issues. CBT shows preliminary effectiveness for pregnancy-related distress but needs more research. CBT is effective for children's internalizing disorders but mixed for externalizing disorders. For the elderly, CBT is moderately effective for emotional symptoms but long-term outcomes are unclear. Overall, CBT is effective for a wide range of psychological problems, with strong evidence for anxiety disorders. However, more high-quality studies are needed to confirm its efficacy for some conditions. Despite its high cost-effectiveness, CBT is not widely adopted as a first-line treatment in many countries. The review highlights the need for further research, especially in underrepresented populations.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a widely used therapeutic approach for various psychological problems. This review summarizes 269 meta-analytic studies, focusing on CBT's efficacy for conditions such as substance use disorder, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, eating disorders, insomnia, personality disorders, anger, aggression, criminal behaviors, general stress, and distress related to medical conditions, pregnancy, and hormonal changes. The strongest evidence supports CBT for anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, bulimia, anger control, and general stress. Eleven studies compared CBT with other treatments, with CBT showing higher response rates in seven reviews. The evidence base for CBT is strong, but more research is needed, especially for specific subgroups like ethnic minorities and low-income populations. CBT is effective for treating cannabis and nicotine dependence but less so for opioid and alcohol dependence. For schizophrenia, CBT helps with positive symptoms and secondary outcomes but is less effective than other treatments for chronic symptoms. For depression and dysthymia, CBT shows mixed results, with some studies indicating strong evidence and others weak support. CBT is consistently effective for anxiety disorders, with large effect sizes for obsessive-compulsive disorder and medium to large for social anxiety, panic disorder, and PTSD. CBT is also effective for somatoform disorders like hypochondriasis and body dysmorphic disorder. For eating disorders, CBT is more effective than other psychotherapies for bulimia but less so for binge eating. CBT is effective for insomnia, with large effect sizes for sleep quality and total sleep time. For personality disorders, CBT is somewhat more effective than other psychosocial treatments, but results vary. CBT is effective for criminal behaviors, with behavior therapy and CBT showing superior recidivism reduction. For chronic pain and fatigue, CBT is moderately effective, with small to medium effect sizes. CBT is effective for treating perinatal and postnatal depression, though results need caution. For elderly adults, CBT is more effective than waiting list controls but similar to other active treatments. CBT is effective for stress management, but more research is needed on long-term effects. For chronic medical conditions, there is a lack of studies and methodological issues. CBT shows preliminary effectiveness for pregnancy-related distress but needs more research. CBT is effective for children's internalizing disorders but mixed for externalizing disorders. For the elderly, CBT is moderately effective for emotional symptoms but long-term outcomes are unclear. Overall, CBT is effective for a wide range of psychological problems, with strong evidence for anxiety disorders. However, more high-quality studies are needed to confirm its efficacy for some conditions. Despite its high cost-effectiveness, CBT is not widely adopted as a first-line treatment in many countries. The review highlights the need for further research, especially in underrepresented populations.