Effectiveness of General Practitioner Referral Versus Self-Referral Pathways to Guided Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression, Panic Disorder, and Social Anxiety Disorder: Naturalistic Study

Self-referral to guided ICBT for depression and PD appears to yield greater treatment outcomes compared to GP referrals. We found no difference in outcome between referral pathway for SAD. This study underscores the potential of self-referral pathways to enhance access to evidence-based psychological treatment, improve treatment outcomes, and promote sustained engagement in specialist mental health services. Future studies should examine the effect of the self-referral pathway when it is implemented on a larger scale.