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Frequent attenders in primary care (FAs) consume a disproportionate amount of healthcare resources and often have depression, anxiety, chronic health issues, and interpersonal problems. Despite extensive medical care, they remain dissatisfied with the care and report no improvement in quality of life. To pilot a Telephone-based Interpersonal Counseling intervention for Frequent Attenders (TIPC-FA) and assess its feasibility and efficacy in reducing symptoms and healthcare utilization. Top 10% of primary care visitors were randomly assigned to TIPC-FA, Telephone Supportive Contact (Support), or Treatment as Usual (TAU). TIPC-FA and Support groups received six telephone sessions over twelve weeks, while the TAU group was interviewed twice. Multilevel regression tested for changes over time, considering patient and counselor variance. TIPC-FA and Support groups demonstrated reduced depressive symptoms, and the TIPC-FA group showed decreased somatization and anxiety. The TIPC-FA group demonstrated a trend towards less healthcare utilization than the TAU group. This pilot study suggests that IPC via telephone outreach is a feasible approach to treating FAs, achieving a reduction in symptoms not seen in other groups. Promising reduction in healthcare utilization in the TIPC-FA group warrants further exploration in larger-scale trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brief transdiagnostic psychotherapy is a possible approach for emotional disorders in primary care. The objective of the present randomized controlled trial was to determine its effectiveness compared with the treatment as usual based on pharmacological interventions in patients with mild/moderate symptoms. In addition, emotional regulation strategies and cognitive factors were studied as potential predictors. Participants (N = 105) were assigned to brief group therapy based on the Unified Protocol (n = 53) or treatment as usual (n = 52). They were assessed before and after the interventions. Mean differences and stepwise regression analyses were performed. Brief group transdiagnostic psychotherapy was more effective than medication in reducing all clinical symptoms (p =.007 for generalized anxiety; p =.000 for somatization; p =.000 for panic disorder; and p =.041 for depression) and in modifying emotional regulation strategies and cognitive processes (p =.000 for cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression, worry, rumination, and metacognition) with moderate/high effect sizes. Besides, it was found that these variables acted as predictors of the therapeutic change. It is concluded that brief therapies could be an accurate treatment for mild/moderate emotional disorders in primary care due to their cost-effective characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]