NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression offers psychological support for common mental health problems. Examples of treatments include cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and counselling.
In 2023-24, 53% of referrals that started treatment completed a course of treatment. Completing a course of treatment is defined as attending a minimum of two sessions (which can include psychological assessment and treatment).
The recovery standard for NHS Talking Therapies is that 50% of patients achieve reliable recovery. This standard is achieved by patients attending at least five treatment sessions.
The focus of this evaluation is to explore initiatives designed to reduce the proportion of patients who complete a course of treatment, but attend only two, three or four sessions.