Controlled trial of problem-solving therapy and consultation-liaison for common mental disorders in general medical settings in Taiwan.
OBJECTIVE
Common mental disorders (CMD) are prevalent high-impact illnesses seen in general medical settings worldwide. There has been no investigation on the efficacy of enhanced care in Chinese societies. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of three interventions for treating CMD: usual care (UC), problem-solving therapy plus UC (PST-UC), and psychiatric consultation plus UC (PC-UC).


METHODS
The sample for this randomized controlled trial consisted of 254 patients with CMD being managed in general medical care settings. Clinical and functional assessments were done at baseline and at 16 weeks.


RESULTS
Two hundred six patients had complete data at 16 weeks (66 in the UC group, 63 in the PST-UC group, 77 in the PC-UC group). All patients had significant improvement on all scales over time, with no significant differences among the three treatment groups.


CONCLUSIONS
This trial failed to demonstrate the efficacy of enhanced care with consultation-liaison by mental health professionals for patients with CMD in general medical settings in Taiwan. Improved outcomes may require more integrated interventions.
Liu
Shen-Ing
SI
Department of Psychiatry, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei 25115, Taiwan. liuyip@ms23.hinet.net
Huang
Hui-Chun
HC
Yeh
Zai-Ting
ZT
Hwang
Lee-Ching
LC
Tjung
Jin-Jin
JJ
Huang
Chiu-Rong
CR
Hsu
Chien-Chi
CC
Ho
Chih-Jen
CJ
Sun
I-Wen
IW
Fang
Chun-Kai
CK
Shiau
Shu-Jen
SJ
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011340:Problem Solving; D013624:Taiwan