Program Reviews

Velibra

Program Overview

Velibra is an internet-based treatment program for adults with anxiety disorders.

Velibra is an unguided internet-based cognitive-behavioral treatment (ICBT) for adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder with or without agoraphobia (PDA), or social anxiety disorder (SAD). Velibra consists of 6 mixed media modules to educate and foster skills for managing anxiety. Module content presents text, images, audio recordings, and downloadable PDF documents. Users engage with module material by selecting responses from a menu of responses. Velibra tailors module content to user selections.

Link to commercial site here.

Last Updated: 08/29/2024

Delivery:
Internet-based

Theoretical Approach(es):
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Target Substance(s):
Other

Target Outcome(s):
Reduce general anxiety symptoms
Reduce panic (including agoraphobia)
Reduce social anxiety

Ages:
Young Adults (18-30)
Adults (30+)
Seniors (65+)

Genders:
Female
Male

Races/Ethnicities:
Not specified

Setting(s):
Remote Access

Geographic Location(s):
Western Europe

Country:
Germany
Austria
Switzerland

Language:
German

Evaluations

  • Berger T, Urech A, Krieger T et al. Psychological Medicine. 2017. 47(1): 67-80. doi: 10.1017/S0033291716002270

    Summary: Researchers recruited 139 adults with anxiety disorders to participate in a randomized controlled trial to evaluate efficacy of the Velibra internet-based cognitive-behavioral treatment (ICBT) on symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients from a primary care setting. Participant recruitment occurred in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland through a study website, newspaper advertisements, and information from a general practitioner (GP). Researchers randomized participants to the Velibra intervention group (n = 70) or control group (n = 69). All participants also received usual care for anxiety. Participants completed questionnaires for anxiety and depression symptoms at baseline (pre-treatment) and 9 weeks (post-treatment) as well as separate disorder-specific measures and a satisfaction questionnaire at 6 months follow-up. Velibra demonstrated significant short-term efficacy for improving symptoms of anxiety, depression, and panic at 9 weeks compared with the control. In the Velibra group, mean Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) scores decreased 30.1% (vs. 4.1% control), mean Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) scores decreased 29.7% (vs. 5.6% control), mean Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scores decreased 20.3% (vs. 5.7% control), and Body Sensations Questionnaire scores (BSQ) decreased 16.8% (vs. 4.5% control). All treatment gains were maintained or improved (BSQ scores) at 6-month follow-up. Velibra participants reported moderately high levels of satisfaction with the intervention. In the Velibra group, 44.8% of individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (vs. 0% control), 38.3% of individuals with panic disorder (vs. 9.8% control), and 28.2% of individuals with social anxiety disorder (vs. 4.7% control) at pretreatment no longer met diagnostic criteria post-treatment.

    Take Away: Velibra demonstrated preliminary efficacy in reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and panic in adult primary care patients with anxiety diagnoses.

  • Evidence requirements of permanently listed digital health applications (DiGA) and their implementation in the German DiGA directory: an analysis. Mäder M, Timpel P, Schönfelder T, et al. BMC Health Services Research. 2023;23(1)doi:10.1186/s12913-023-09287-w