New research from the University of York, in collaboration with ieso Digital Health Ltd and Dorset HealthCare University NHS Trust, has found that internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) offers comparable clinical effectiveness to standard care but at a lower cost.
The study, published in Nature Mental Health, could have significant implications for mental health services and policy.
How Does Internet-Delivered CBT Work?
In the study, text-based therapies were delivered online, involving a series of questions to which the patient typed answers.
A professional therapist assisted the patient via online communication. These online therapies can be accessed both privately and through the NHS.
Why is this Important?
Most prior research in the realm of mental health cost analysis focused on generalized anxiety and major depression without much discussion on the cost-effectiveness of various treatment modalities, including digital interventions.
What were the Main Findings?
The research team analyzed data from 27,540 patients using NHS services in England and evaluated the main cost drivers for different treatment options, particularly for depression and generalized anxiety disorders.
Cost Drivers: Treatment effectiveness, time from referral to the end of treatment, and treatment-associated costs were identified as the main cost drivers.
Reduced Waiting and Treatment Times: Online therapy reduced waiting and treatment times, sometimes by as much as half.
Cost Savings: According to Sam Harper, a research consultant involved in the study, reduced treatment and waiting times could save the NHS a considerable amount of money and improve patient outcomes.
Data suggested an annual saving of around £600 million on average for people with all levels of anxiety and depression severities.
Implications for Policy and Future Research
The study found that the cost savings were higher for patients with depression than those with anxiety, and even more so for severe cases. This could be valuable data for policymakers and health administrators.
However, the researchers acknowledge that more study is needed to understand the services in different parts of the UK for a complete picture of cost-effectiveness.
Takeaway
The study adds weight to the growing body of evidence supporting the use of online mental health interventions.
It shows that not only can such services potentially save money, but they can also provide effective treatment for millions suffering from anxiety and depression.
Policymakers may now have sufficient data to consider integrating internet-delivered CBT into standard mental health services, thus increasing the accessibility and affordability of mental health care.
If you care about health, please read studies that scientists find a core feature of depression, and this metal in the brain is strongly linked to depression.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about drugs for mental health that may harm the brain, and results showing this therapy is more effective than ketamine in treating severe depression.
The study was published in Nature Mental Health.
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