The clinical psychologist in general practice: a six-year study of consulting patterns for psychosocial problems

Three quarters of the patients in a group practice referred to a clinical psychologist during a three-year period showed marked reductions in the consulting and psychotropic drug prescription rates in the six months after treatment compared with the six months leading up to treatment. However, the rates for the whole practice revealed a general falling trend over the period of study. Furthermore, examination of the records of all patients with at least one psychosocial problem over a six-year period during which they were registered with the practice has shown that encounters for psychosocial problems tended to be concentrated in a relatively short period - the ;worst year' - rather than being evenly distributed over the whole six years. It is concluded that the natural history of most psychological disorders is one of crisis and remission and that no benefit has been demonstrated from individual therapy by clinical psychologists.