Efficacy of a brief psychosocial intervention for symptoms of stress and distress among patients in primary care.
Psychosocial problems and symptoms of emotional distress play a prominent role in patients reporting to primary care settings. Interpersonal counseling (IPC) was developed as a brief psychosocial intervention for patients with stress and distress to be administered by nurse practitioners in a primary care setting. The results of a pilot study indicate more rapid reduction of symptoms and improvement in emotional symptoms and psychosocial functioning in the IPC group than in a comparison group with initially elevated scores on the General Health Questionnaire. The priorities for further testing are discussed, and possible implications for service delivery are explored.
Department of Psychiatry, Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York.
G L
GL
Klerman
S
S
Budman
D
D
Berwick
M M
MM
Weissman
J
J
Damico-White
A
A
Demby
M
M
Feldstein
D000328:Adult; D001900:Boston; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011610:Psychosocial Deprivation; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires