Following a consultation, The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), has conditionally recommended eight digitally enabled therapies which utilise cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques and the support and involvement of an NHS Talking Therapies Clinician. These therapies address depression and a range of anxiety disorders, including PTSD and body dysmorphia.
The conditional recommendation of these therapies are the 6th and 7th early value assessments that have been initiated using the new NICE rapid assessment process for promising medical technology, and will allow for further evidence to be collected on the therapies prior to an official recommendation and use within the NHS
NHS Digital estimates that 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem, including depression and anxiety disorders, in any given week. This burden is coupled with the high demand for NHS talking therapies, highlighting the need for promising new technology that may alleviate this burden and add to the range of evidence-based treatments that can be offered.
Mark Chapman, interim director of medical technology and digital evaluation at NICE, stated: “We want these new treatment options to be available for people to use as quickly as possible and we also want to make sure they are clinically effective and represent good value for the NHS. The additional evidence collected during this period will help us do that.”
Sources:
- Eight digitally enabled therapies to treat depression and anxiety in adults conditionally recommended by NICE. NICE. https://www.nice.org.uk/news/article/eight-digitally-enabled-therapies-to-treat-depression-and-anxiety-in-adults-conditionally-recommended-by-nice. Accessed 6th March 2023.
- NICE Recommends Digitally Enabled Therapies For Depression and Anxiety. Medscape UK. https://www.medscape.co.uk/viewarticle/nice-recommends-digitally-enabled-therapies-depression-and-2023a10004g6. Accessed 6th March 2023.