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primary topic: Real‐world effectiveness of integrating clinical psychologists into primary care: First‐year outcomes from a regional programme for common mental disorders in Spain

Real‐world effectiveness of integrating clinical psychologists into primary care: First‐year outcomes from a regional programme for common mental disorders in Spain
type: AcademicArticle
type: Article
abstract: Objectives Common mental disorders (CMDs), including depression and anxiety, are highly prevalent in primary care, yet access to psychological therapies, which are the first-line treatment for these conditions, remains limited. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Clinical Psychology in Primary Care Programme in Cantabria during its first year of implementation, which integrated clinical psychologists into primary care teams to deliver brief, evidence-based interventions. Design Naturalistic observational pre–post study in primary care. Methods A total of 1149 patients (66% women; M = 44 years) were assessed with the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 before and after a brief psychological intervention of up to eight sessions per patient delivered individually or in groups. Linear mixed-effects models examined pre–post changes and moderators (intervention format, age, sex). Reliable change, deterioration and recovery were calculated. Results Significant and clinically meaningful reductions were observed in depressive (ΔPHQ-9 = −7.8) and anxiety symptoms (ΔGAD-7 = −7.1; p < .001). Individual therapy produced greater improvements than group interventions, and younger participants showed slightly larger gains; sex showed no effect. Moderate variability in outcomes was observed across therapists. Among completers, large effect sizes were found (dRM ≈ 1.3); 73% achieved reliable improvement and 51% met reliable recovery criteria, while deterioration rates were below 1%. Conclusions Findings support the consolidation and expansion of the integration of clinical psychologists into primary care, providing evidence that the psychological interventions delivered in this context are a feasible, equitable and effective approach to treating CMDs in the Spanish public health system.
date: 2026-05
is part of: British Journal of Clinical Psychology
status: peerReviewed
status: published
author list: authors
type: EPrint
type: ArticleEPrint
is part of: repository
subject: Psychology

British Journal of Clinical Psychology
type: Collection
issn: 01446657

Mikel Muñiz‐Videchea
type: Person
given name: Mikel
family name: Muñiz‐Videchea

Blanca Uriz‐Zafra
type: Person
given name: Blanca
family name: Uriz‐Zafra

Amador Priede
type: Person
given name: Amador
family name: Priede

Cintia Montes‐Novoa
type: Person
given name: Cintia
family name: Montes‐Novoa

César González‐Blanch
type: Person
given name: César
family name: González‐Blanch

Noelia Rodríguez‐Pérez
type: Person
given name: Noelia
family name: Rodríguez‐Pérez

David Gil-Sanz
type: Person
given name: David
family name: Gil-Sanz

Silvia Pérez‐Monzón
type: Person
given name: Silvia
family name: Pérez‐Monzón

Paula Díaz‐Gómez
type: Person
given name: Paula
family name: Díaz‐Gómez

Rosario Bengochea-Seco
type: Person
given name: Rosario
family name: Bengochea-Seco

María Camino‐Sánchez
type: Person
given name: María
family name: Camino‐Sánchez

HTML Summary of #28570 Real‐world effectiveness of integrating clinical psychologists into primary care: First‐year outcomes from a regional programme for common mental disorders in Spain
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primary topic: Real‐world effectiveness of integrating clinical psychologists into primary care: First‐year outcomes from a regional programme for common mental disorders in Spain

Psychology
type: Concept
preferred label: Psicología @es