[Brief family therapy: an option for the treatment of somatoform disorders in primary care].
OBJECTIVE
To study the application of the brief family therapy model to the treatment of somatoform disorders in scheduled primary care consultations.


METHODS
Intervention study.


METHODS
Cazoña Health Centre, Santander.


METHODS
18 patients who had suffered somatoform disorder for at least a year.


METHODS
A general practitioner trained in short-term family therapy applied this treatment under the supervision of a specially trained psychologist.


RESULTS
The variables of the research into the results of brief family therapy were collected. These showed 61.1% therapeutic success, 27.8% failure and 11.1% abandonment. There were no relapses at the six-month control. Total number of consultations varied between 1 and 11, average 4.6; the average interval between consultations was 27 days, with an average length of 48 minutes for each consultation. Time between the first and last consultation varied from 1 to 242 days, average 96 days. Brevity of treatment was related to its therapeutic success.


CONCLUSIONS
Training in brief family therapy, with supervision at the start, can provide primary care doctors with a treatment alternative for resolving somatoform disorders without the patient having to accept a psychological reason for his/her complaints.
Real Pérez
M
M
Médico Especialista en Medicina Familiar, Centro de Salud Cazoña, Santander.
Rodríguez-Arias Palomo
J L
JL
Cagigas Viadero
J
J
Aparicio Sanz
M M
MM
Real Pérez
M A
MA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005194:Family Practice; D005196:Family Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000628:therapy*
Terapia familiar breve: una opción para el tratamiento de los trastornos somatoformes en atención primaria.