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.
Klerman
G L
GL
Department of Psychiatry, Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York.
Budman
S
S
Berwick
D
D
Weissman
M M
MM
Damico-White
J
J
Demby
A
A
Feldstein
M
M
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