Transdiagnostic Group Treatments for Patients With Common Mental Disorders in Primary Health Care

Design:

Clinical randomised non blinded controlled trial.

Setting:

The study was performed in an outpatient primary health care centre serving 36 000 inhabitants.

Participants:

Patients (n=278), aged 18-65 years, with common mental problems or disorders were referred to the study by the GPs and 245 were included in the study.

Interventions:

Participants were randomised to CAU or one of two group interventions in addition to CAU. These were: a) group cognitive behavioural based therapy (CBT) administered by psychologists once a week for 12 weeks, and b) group multimodal intervention (MMI) based on a protocol comprising a mix of existing group interventions and exercises borrowed from multiple techniques and therapeutic schools and administered by assistant nurses with brief training, including two sessions per week for 6 weeks.

Main outcome measures:

Primary outcome measure was the Mental Component Summary score of SF-36. Secondary outcome measures were perceived stress scale (PSS) and Self-Rating Scale for Affective Syndromes (CPRS-S-A)

Inclusion criteria

• patients with common mental disorders or problems

Exclusion criteria

patients were excluded if:

• they met diagnostic criteria for bipolar or psychotic disorder or severe personality disorder,
• were judged to be at risk of committing suicidal acts, and
• if they had undergone MMI earlier. The investigators paid no consideration to whether patients were treated with SSRI medication.