Digitally enabled therapies for adults with anxiety disorders: early value assessment

  • Health technology evaluation
  • HTE9
  • Published: 
  • Last updated: 

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Information for the public

NICE has said that the following digitally enabled therapies can be used in the NHS to treat anxiety in adults, once they have appropriate approval:

  • for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD): Perspectives
  • for generalised anxiety symptoms or unspecified anxiety disorder: Space from Anxiety
  • for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): iCT‑PTSD and Spring
  • for social anxiety disorder: iCT‑SAD.

The therapies should be used with support from a trained practitioner or therapist in NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression services. They can only be offered in the NHS once they have approvals from NHS England and a CE or UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) mark. You can find out more about the approvals needed in the full NICE guidance.

Digitally enabled therapy involves working through resources and interactive tools online or through an app, on your own, in your own time. You’ll be supported by a trained practitioner or therapist through telephone calls or online messaging.

The NHS is collecting more evidence for these therapies on how well they work, how they are used and if they have any side effects.

You might be asked if details of your treatment can be collected for more evidence. You can ask your healthcare professional for more information about being involved and how your information will be stored and used.

NICE also looked at:

  • Cerina, Iona Mind, Minddistrict, Resony and Wysa for generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) or generalised anxiety symptoms
  • Cerina, Minddistrict and Space from OCD for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Minddistrict and SilverCloud programmes for health anxiety, panic disorder with or without agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, and phobias.

NICE said these should not be offered on the NHS because there is not enough evidence to recommend them. They should only be used in research to treat anxiety in adults.

Is this treatment right for me?

Your healthcare professionals should give you clear information, talk with you about your options and listen carefully to your views and concerns. Your family can be involved too, if you wish. See our webpage on making decisions about your care.

Questions to think about

  • How well does it work compared with other types of therapy?
  • What kind of support will I get from my therapist or practitioner?
  • Are there any risks associated with this type of therapy? How likely are they?
  • What happens if the therapy does not work?
  • What happens if I do not want to have this type of therapy? Are there other therapies available?

Information and support

The NHS webpage on anxiety may be a good place to find out more.

These organisations can give you advice and support:

You can also get support from your local Healthwatch.

NICE is not responsible for the quality or accuracy of any information or advice provided by these organisations.

ISBN: 978-1-4731-5195-6

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