Member Price: £5.00 Non-Member: £6.00 Author: Andrew Hill, Alison Brettle, Peter Jenkins, Claire Hulme Institute of Health and Social Care Research, University of Salford BACP Code: PRIMCARE ISBN: 9781905114283

At a time when the use of psychological therapies in primary care is expanding, this study aims to locate, appraise and synthesise diverse research evidence discussing the findings of: randomised controlled trials; practice-based evidence; cost-effectiveness studies; and studies of patient satisfaction/treatment preferences.

The review includes a range of both UK and international studies, written in the English language and located in the primary care setting, which provides a reliable overview of the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and acceptability of counselling in primary care.

The findings are drawn from 26 studies that were graded good or high quality and are presented in a thematic narrative review of the evidence, with summary tables presenting the results of all the included studies. 

In brief, the research shows that counselling is more effective than routine primary care in the short term, but more research is needed in relation to long term outcomes. The research also shows that counselling is as effective as CBT with typical heterogeneous primary care populations. The evidence regarding the cost-effectiveness and the cost-impact on other areas of health service utilisation is mixed, although it is clear that patients are highly satisfied with the counselling they have received in primary care.