Problem-solving therapy in the treatment of unexplained physical symptoms in primary care: a preliminary study

We describe a pilot study of a simple psychological treatment based on reattribution techniques and problem-solving. The treatment was administered to a consecutive series of patients (N = 11) presenting in primary care with unexplained physical symptoms. The findings suggest that the treatment is both feasible and acceptable. Finally we suggest selection criteria for those patients who may benefit from the treatment. This needs further evaluation in a randomized, controlled trial.