the evidence is limited - however there is evidence to suggest that, in the short term, brief counselling (usually fewer than 8 sessions) delivered by practice counsellors results in better psychological symptom levels than usual GP care in the management of a wide range of primary care mental health problems - however the clinical significance of this evidence is unclear (1)
counselling is associated with modest improvement in short-term outcome compared with usual general practitioner care, and thus may be a useful addition to mental health services in primary care (2)
Reference:
(1) Rowland N, Godfrey C, Bower P, Mellor-Clark J, Heywood P, Hardy R. Counselling in primary care: a systematic review of the research evidence. Br J Guid Couns 2000; 28:215-31.
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