3.1.10—Psychological treatment
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2027
- Objective
- 3.1.10
- Level
- SL
Psychological treatments change health through learning, appraisal or relationships
A psychological treatment uses structured psychological processes—such as cognitive reappraisal, behavioural practice, exposure, problem-solving or therapeutic relationship—to reduce symptoms or improve functioning.
A credible evaluation specifies the target mechanism, comparison, outcome and follow-up. Treatment response can vary with diagnosis, therapist skill, expectancy, adherence and context, so one trial does not establish universal superiority.
CBT for anxiety may identify catastrophic predictions, test them with graded behavioural experiments and track avoidance. Improvement is evidence about the treatment package, not proof that one thought caused every symptom.
Talking therapy is not a single intervention and improvement is not automatically a placebo effect. Match the treatment to a specified disorder, explain its active psychological process, and evaluate benefits, harms, access, relapse and patient preference.