Retrospective evaluation of group psychological treatment for patients with emotional disorders in Primary Care

Introduction: Individuals with mental disorders attend an average of 15.1 visits to Primary Care centres per year. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Guidelines indicate that psychological treatment is the recommended for those disorders most present in Primary Care, such as anxiety, depression and somatisation disorders, considering it to be a first-line treatment with proven efficacy. The aim of the present study is to analyse the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioural psychological group intervention for the treatment of the most common mental disorders in Primary Care in the province of Alicante. Method: 131 patients who met the inclusion criteria participated. The intervention consisted of 7 group sessions based on the PsicAP protocol, which included psychoeducation, relaxation, cognitive restructuring, behavioural techniques and relapse prevention. Depression, somatic disorders, generalised anxiety and functional disability were assessed before and after the intervention. Results: There was a statistically significant reduction in the scores for each of the variables. Discussion: The intervention has been effective in reducing depressive, somatic and anxiety symptoms and the impact of functional disability in patients with the most common mental disorders in Primary Care.