Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40389306›Full record

ArticleBMJ mental health2025

Physical long-term conditions and the effectiveness of England's NHS Talking Therapies programme for working-age adults: findings from a South London borough.

Amy Ronaldson, Matthew Broadbent, Brendon Stubbs, Lisa Harber-Aschan, Nicusor Sima, David Armstrong, Ioannis Bakolis, Stephani Hatch, Matthew Hotopf, Alex Dregan

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In one paragraph

Article in BMJ mental health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Amy RonaldsonDepartment of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-8369-9168
Matthew BroadbentNIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, SLAM, London, UK.
Brendon StubbsDepartment of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neurosciences, London, UK.
Lisa Harber-AschanDepartment of Sociology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-6464-4855
Nicusor SimaDepartment of Technological Sciences, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.ORCID 0000-0002-2440-2245
David ArmstrongPopulation Health Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-3652-9662
Ioannis BakolisBiostatistics and Health Informatics, King's College London School of Social Science and Public Policy, London, UK.
Stephani HatchDepartment of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neurosciences, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-9103-2427
Matthew HotopfDepartment of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neurosciences, London, UK.
Alex DreganDepartment of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neurosciences, London, UK alexandru.dregan@kcl.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-7620-4902

Funding

UK MRC Medical Research Counsil and NIHR National Institite for Care Research MR/S028188/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo assess the effectiveness of NHS Talking Therapies (NHSTT) service for working-age adults with mild to moderate depression or anxiety and to evaluate the impact of multiple physical long-term conditions (LTCs) on treatment outcomes.

methodWe have linked routinely collected data from the NHSTT services in South London (UK) with primary care data for aged 18-64 years who had accessed the services between August 2008 and March 2021. The main outcome measures were NHSTT service key performance indicators of 'recovery' and 'reliable improvement'. Multiple and specific physical LTCs represented the exposure of interest. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess associations between physical LTC exposures and outcomes.

findingsAmong 35 814 adults (mean age=37, 67% women) attending the NHSTT, physical LTCs were associated with moderately lower 'recovery' rate (adjusted HR (aHR)=0.91, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.95) relative to no LTCs. A dose-response relationship was also observed: the likelihood of 'recovery' decreased with the number of physical LTCs (one condition: aHR=0.95, 95% CI 0.91 to 0.98; two conditions: aHR=0.88, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.93; three conditions: aHR=0.82, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.91; four or more conditions: aHR=0.72, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.85).

conclusionAmong working-age adults, the effectiveness of NHSTT services varied with the number and type of physical LTCs. These findings highlight the need for tailored interventions for patients with multiple physical LTCs to improve treatment outcomes.

Indexed as

AnxietyDepressionPsychotherapyAdolescentAdultChronic DiseaseFemaleHumansLondonMaleMiddle AgedPrimary Health CareState MedicineYoung AdultAdult psychiatryAnxiety disordersDepressionDepression & mood disorders

Identifiers

PMID40389306
PMCPMC12090860

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.