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.