Background: Many research studies have shown the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for patients across diagnoses of mental disorders. In order to be considered clinically useful, there needs to be extensive validation and replication.

Objectives:The aim of this umbrella review was to assess whether cognitive behavioural therapy is more effective than the usual treatments or whether it can be considered only as an alternative active treatment for those who have mental illness.

Methods:This review considers systematic reviews that include the studies of adult persons with schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorder, insomnia, and psychosis who have received cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Reviews that included people with co-existing developmental disorders and/or learning disabilities will be excluded.
A comprehensive search strategy was developed to find both published and unpublished reviews in English from 2003-2016. The databases were searched included the Cochrane Library, JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports, Database of abstracts of reviews of effects, Pubmed, PsycINFO, ProQuest Dissertations, Theses database, ScienceDirect, and PsycEXTRA. Reviews selected for retrieval were assessed by two independent reviewers using the standardised JBI critical-appraisal instrument (JBI-SUMARI). The JBI Data Extraction Form for Review was used to extract data.

Results:This is the on-going project, however, at this stage we have found 60 SRs that met the inclusion criteria and will be assessed for the quality, extracted and synthesised. Findings will be presented through the use of a summary table. The JBI grade recommendation will be used for an overall assessment of the quality of evidence from the reviews. A 'Summary of Evidence' table will be presented at the conclusion of the results.