The Effectiveness of Problem-Solving Therapy for Primary Care Patients' Depressive and/or Anxiety Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background: There is increasing demand for managing depressive and/or anxiety disorders among primary care patients. Problem-solving therapy (PST) is a brief evidence-and strength-based psychotherapy that has received increasing support for its effectiveness in managing depression and anxiety among primary care patients.Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials examining PST for patients with depression and/or anxiety in primary care as identified by searches for published literature across 6 databases and manual searching. A weighted average of treatment effect size estimates per study was used for meta-analysis and moderator analysis.

(Emotion‐centered) problem‐solving therapy: An update

“…Similar to Zhang et al () study, Cape, Whittington, Buszewicz, Wallace, and Underwood () focused on the treatment of depression and anxiety in primary care populations. However, more similar to Nieuwsma et al () review, these authors were interested in a variety of brief psychological therapies rather than a single type, such as PST.…”

“…A recently published meta‐analysis of PST clinical trials focused on the treatment of depressive and/or anxiety disorders specifically among primary care patients (Zhang, Park, Sullivan, & Jing, ). Their search yielded an initial pool of 153 primary studies eventually leading to 11 investigations that met their inclusion criteria.…”

Effect of Integrated Behavioral Weight Loss Treatment and Problem-Solving Therapy on Body Mass Index and Depressive Symptoms Among Patients With Obesity and Depression

“…5 These conditions share common comorbidities (eg, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease), and their coexistence is associated with poorer treatment adherence and response to therapy, leading to higher health care costs than either condition alone. 6,7 Effective treatments independently targeting obesity 8,9 and depression [10][11][12] exist; however, integrated treatments are lacking. Few effective treatments simultaneously address both conditions.…”

Brief behaviour change strategies for distressed patients in primary care

“…Estimate how long the visit will be and review matters to be discussed, including seeking patient input on topics 568. For distressed patients in particular, this is likely to help the patient decide how detailed (or succinct) to be when discussing topics of concern, and can avoid the need to interrupt or end a conversation abruptly.…”

“…Several studies have been done in primary care but there is limited evidence on specific strategies for patients presenting with distress. We draw on principles of problem solving,6 goal setting,7 and other strategies from cognitive behavioural therapies (CBT) and provide examples that can be feasible to employ in primary care settings 5…”