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Counselling and Psychotherapy Research
Linking research with practice
Volume 11, 2011 - Issue 3
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An outcome evaluation study of a psycho-educational course in a primary care setting

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Pages 213-219 | Received 29 Sep 2009, Accepted 12 Apr 2010, Published online: 22 Jul 2010
 

Abstract

Rationale: To date relatively little research has examined the effectiveness of psycho-educational courses provided in a primary care setting to adults with mild-to-moderate mental health concerns. Aims: To determine whether group psycho-education could be a viable alternative to individual counselling by (1) assessing the clinical effectiveness of an 8-week psycho-educational course, and (2) examining the group outcomes in comparison with individual treatment outcomes from a previous study in the same counselling service. Method: A total of 57 participants attending a psycho-educational course provided data over a 36-month period, using the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation – Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) pre- and post-intervention. A comparison was then made with the data of 58 previous participants of individual counselling evaluation, using the same CORE-OM system. Results: Participants reported significantly lower levels of psychological distress after attending the course and these results are comparable to outcomes measured in the same service for individual counselling, indicating that group interventions could be considered a legitimate alternative to individual counselling, thus increasing cost effectiveness and reducing waiting times. Limitations of the study and implications for practice and further investigation are considered.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all those who participated in the study, the counsellors and psychologists involved for all their hard work, all the GP and surgery staff and special thanks to the service users who made this study possible.

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