Cognitive therapy has shown promise as a treatment for depressed outpatients. Despite recent increases in its use with inpatients, the treatment itself has not been well substantiated empirically. This article reviews the literature on cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) with inpatients, and uses meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of this approach to treatment. The results suggest that CBT can be beneficial with inpatients both as a primary treatment and as an adjunct to antide-pressant medication. More controlled research needs to be completed to fully confirm CBT's role in an inpatient setting.