Wellness assessment
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques, such as cost-benefit analysis therapy, can be effective ways to understand the relationship between our thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Consequently, these techniques can lead us to make more informed choices.
Our guide to cost-benefit analysis therapy provides mental health therapists with an overview of the cost-benefit technique and example exercises often used in CBT and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).
We’ve also included a free downloadable cost-benefit analysis worksheet to save to your electronic health record (EHR) for use in your practice.
What is cost-benefit analysis therapy?
The cost-benefit analysis CBT technique used to help evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of thoughts, behaviors, and beliefs. This tool can be helpful for clients with anxiety or depression who may be stuck in maladaptive thinking patterns and experiencing thought distortions.
Cost-benefit analysis therapy is a CBT cognitive restructuring technique focusing on problem-solving by considering the advantages and disadvantages of unhelpful thoughts or behaviors. It can also help people notice how maladaptive thoughts and beliefs have been influencing decisions, potentially worsening mental health symptoms and reinforcing unhelpful behaviors.
Summarizing the pros and cons through the use of a cost-benefit analysis worksheet can highlight logical outcomes and make it easier to come to an informed decision.
For example, Cindy has been struggling with depression. She was invited to a party but thinks it's pointless to attend because she feels down and will be miserable. She worries she’ll ruin everyone’s time and won’t get invited again. In considering the pros of going to the party, Cindy identifies that increased social time may improve her symptoms of depression and that staying home may be contributing to her depression.
The benefits of cost-benefit analysis therapy include:
Enhances emotional regulation skills: Cost-benefit analysis therapy can help you make informed decisions rather than reactive ones based on feelings, unhelpful thoughts, and beliefs.
Improves mental health symptoms: By choosing options that promote health and connection and activities that enhance well-being overall health and wellness will be enhanced and mental health symptoms may be ameliorated.
Reduces the risk of unhelpful behaviors: For example, a person in recovery from substance use disorder can use this tool to identify the importance of their recovery goals and the cost of not maintaining their sobriety before making an informed choice.
Helps evaluate options rationally: Clients can make a logical, values-aligned decision to create positive behavioral changes that align with the client's goals.
Cost-benefit analysis therapy exercise
Cost-benefit analysis therapy involves the following steps to address unhelpful thoughts and feelings and make more informed decisions.
Step 1: Identify a thought or behavior
The first step in the cost-benefit analysis worksheet is to identify a thought or behavior that you want to change.
Step 2: List costs and benefits
List the costs, disadvantages, and benefits of making a change in the short and long term.
For example, costs might include worsening mental health symptoms, letting friends down, social isolation, and losing friendships.
Benefits may include increased social time, symptom improvement, community connection, mutual support, and overall well-being.
Step 3: Evaluate your list
Using a pros and cons therapy worksheet, analyze the pros and cons of each potential outcome, considering their overall impact on your emotional, social, and physical well-being and relationships.
Then, discuss these costs and benefits with your mental health therapist, who can provide an unbiased perspective and reflect on your treatment goals.
Step 4: Make a decision
Once you have evaluated your options and discussed them with your therapist, you can use the decision-making worksheet therapy exercise to make a more informed decision based on your short- and long-term mental health goals.
How to use the cost-benefit analysis worksheet
You can download and use the cost-benefit analysis therapy worksheet in several ways.
For instance, print or screen share the cost-benefit analysis worksheet and use it as a psychoeducational prompt or to work through a cost-benefit analysis during the session.
Give the cost-benefit analysis worksheet PDF to the client to remind them of what you discussed during therapy.
Ask the client to reflect on the cost-benefit analysis worksheet in between sessions, practice the analysis on a problem that arises, and then report their progress at their next therapy appointment.
Sources
Min, J., Ailshire, J., & Crimmins, E. M. (2016). Social engagement and depressive symptoms: do baseline depression status and type of social activities make a difference? Age and Aging.
Sokol, K., Fox, M, G. (2019). The comprehensive clinician's guide to cognitive behavioral therapy. PESI Publishing.
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