Psychological treatment in general practice.

A clinical psychologist was attached to two group practices in Sheffield for 1.5 sessions each per week. A total of 238 patients was seen during 26 months. Of those completing therapy, 72 per cent made satisfactory progress. In the three months after stopping treatment patients made significantly fewer (36 per cent) visits to the surgeries and received significantly fewer (50 per cent) prescriptions for psychotropic drugs than in the three months before referral. These changes were maintained one year later in the three-month period 12 to 15 months after discharge. The result has been to provide largely successful therapy for a population of patients for whom adequate treatment was previously unavailable. This suggests that it would be worthwhile to expand psychological services in general practice still further as advised by the Department of Health and Social Security.