Is it acceptable to patients to have supported self‐help interventions delivered through psycho‐educational groups? A qualitative study on the reasons stated for dropout
| Pages | 36-42 |
| Date | 19 July 2010 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5042/jmhtep.2010.0364 |
| Published date | 19 July 2010 |
| Author | Tikka Rachael,Laura Blackhall,Claire Jones,Annette Law |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
36 The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice Volume 5 Issue 2 June 2010 © Pier Professional Ltd
10.5042/jmhtep.2010.0364
Is it acceptable to patients to have
supported self-help interventions
delivered through psycho-educational
groups? A qualitative study on the
reasons stated for dropout
Abstract
Group-based psycho-educat ional interventions
offer a cost-effective solution to meeting the very
high level of demand for psychological services in
primary care. This qualitative study investigated
reasons for dropout from an established psycho-
educational course programme in Swindon and
Wiltshire. Ninety people were followed up by
telephone who had attended at least one session of
a course over a three-month period. Reasons stated
for dropout were more often related to personal
circumstances such as other commitments and
ill health (75%), than to dissatisfaction with the
courses (25%). It is concluded that providing
group-based interventions for common mental
health problems is acceptable to p atients in
primary care and that service development should
focus on making such interventions flexible and
accessible to patients.
Key words
psycho-edu cation; attriti on; s elf-help; prim ary
care; low intensity
Introduction
The demand for psychological services in primary care
has been managed by the Swindon and Wiltshire Primary
Care Psychology Service with the provision of psycho-
educational groups, as part of a stepped care delivery
model. The courses have been described as similar to
‘evening classes’, where people are encouraged to discuss
the content of the course but not to talk at length about
personal problems (Law, 2004).
The programme of psycho-educational courses has been
running for more than eight years and currently offers 13
different courses on a continuous rolling programme. The
courses are built around the stress and mood management
course, which teaches basic cognitive behavioural skills
and introduces a variety of topics, covered in more detail
Tikka Rachael
Primary Care Mental Health Practitioner
Laura Blackhall
Assistant Psychologist
Claire Jones
Trainee Clinical Psychologist
Annette Law
Deputy Head
Primary Care Psychology Service in Swindon and Wiltshire, UK
To continue reading
Request your trial