Clinician-guided internet-based psychotherapy compared with face-to-face therapy for people with anxiety or depression

Key Findings

Based on a very limited evidence base around CBT it appears that guided internet psychotherapy provides similar outcomes to face-to-face treatment and is acceptable to many patients with depression or anxiety disorders.

Cost-effectiveness estimates vary widely and are limited by a lack of robust input data, many of which vary according to local service delivery parameters.

What were we asked to look at?

We were asked to review the published evidence on the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, safety and acceptability of clinician-guided internet-based psychotherapeutic interventions compared with in-person, face-to-face individual or group psychotherapeutic interventions for adult patients with depression or anxiety disorders.

Why is this important?

This report will support an update of the NHS Education for Scotland (NES) matrix of psychological therapies commissioned in NHS Scotland. Depression and anxiety disorders are common and it is likely that there have been rapid advances in interactive technologies and changes in digital skills in society since the NES Matrix was published in 2015.

Referred by

NHS Education for Scotland