Key Words: primary health care, psychotherapy, therapeutics

Currently, most patients with psychosocial problems or mental disorders consult first with primary health care professionals [1]. For example, anxiety disorders and depressive disorders are very prevalent in the general population and affected patients are being treated, with increasing frequency, in primary health care facilities [2],[3], while referral to more complex care centers is reserved for more severe cases [4]. It is for this reason that the development of valid psychotherapeutic approaches, adjusted to the characteristics of primary care consultation, is a task that health practitioners (psychiatrists, psychologists, family physicians) around the world are addressing.

In order to be effective, these psychotherapeutic approaches must fthe unique therapeutic context of health care in primary care facilities, where the limited time for consultation and the need to adjust interventions to few sessions are often essential characteristics. In many parts of the world access to psychotherapy services is limited [5], so psychological interventions offered in primary care facilities are usually of short duration (six sessions, for example) [6]. This contrasts with the duration of psychotherapy offered at secondary care centers, which usually runs for 12 to 24 sessions [7]. All of the above makes primary health care fundamentally different from that provided in secondary care. Furthermore, primary care in mental health is distinguished from secondary care, since in the latter the patients typically present themselves with more chronic illnesses, with a longer course and accompanied by many risk factors [8],[9]. 

Here we might ask: does psychotherapy really work in primary care? In short, we can say it does [10]. Recent research has confirmed the effectiveness of brief psychotherapeutic interventions (mainly cognitive behavioral therapy, problem solving therapy and counseling) for the routine treatment of psychosocial problems in primary care, taking into consideration that some patients should clearly be referred to facilities where longer term treatments could be performed [11],[12].

Likewise, Cape et al., through a meta-analysis and meta-regression study, have shown that most of the brief psychological therapies in primary care (cognitive behavioral therapy, problem solving therapy and counseling) are effective for the treatment of anxiety disorders and depressive syndromes; and that, in addition, there are no significant differences between the three types of psychotherapy previously mentioned [10].

In primary health care, the challenge for every psychotherapist is to give up the idea of "healing" [8],[11], focusing primarily on trying to alleviate, at least in part, some of the many psychosocial problems that the patient may bring to consultation. This may represent a very difficult mentality change for many therapists [8].

In order to be able to work effectively in a model of psychotherapy adapted to primary health care, the mental health professional must constantly focus on finding the most efficient way to achieve the therapeutic goals, in a short period of time, which can often involve "directing" the patient to certain areas, and reduce the time of discussion in others. This is achieved by balancing the self-exploration processes of the patient with a more direct care approach. 

In places where there are not enough psychologists or psychiatrists, family physicians should be trained and be able to offer brief psychotherapeutic interventions. This could be done through long-term educational reforms [4] or through ingenious solutions, in which patients are cared for together and at the same time by a psychologist/psychiatrist and a family physician. This will allow the family physician to be able to acquire practice in the art of psychological therapies [13].

In addition, the medical characteristics of patients should be taken into account when designing psychotherapeutic strategies. In the psychotherapeutic processes performed in primary care, it is the responsibility of the therapist to help the patient to maintain a fundamental balance between "change" and "stability". Due to time constraints, the therapist must be cautious in addressing coping mechanisms and coping styles that the patient has developed [14].

In summary, we can say that psychotherapy is useful in primary care and, to be truly successful, should take on different nuances than those usually used in secondary care. This means an eclectic and pragmatic approach to dealing with the problems that patients bring to the consultation and a practical and targeted way to assist the patient and achieve therapeutic goals.

Notes

From the editor
The authors originally submitted this article in Spanish and subsequently translated it into English. The Journal has not copyedited this version.

Declaration of conflicts of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to the subject matter of this article.

Financing
The authors state that there were no external sources of funding.

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