Review: primary care counselling improves short term but not long term psychological symptoms in patients with psychological and psychosocial problems
QUESTION: In patients with psychological and psychosocial problems, is counselling in primary care effective and cost effective?
Data sources
Studies were identified by searching databases including Medline; EMBASE/Excerpta Medica; PsycLIT; CINAHL; the Cochrane Library; and the Cochrane Collaboration Depression, Anxiety, and Neurosis Register of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) and Controlled Clinical Trials (for trials completed by June 2001). Search terms included primary health care, counselling, psychotherapy, general practice, and clinical psychology. Bibliographies of relevant studies were scanned, and experts were contacted.
Study selection
Published and unpublished studies in all languages were selected if they were RCTs; examined patients with psychological or psychosocial problems who were suitable for counselling; used a clear definition of counselling compatible with that of the British Association of …
