Predictors of Seeking Psychotherapy in Primary Care Patients with High Somatic Symptom Burden.
Amina K KubyBernd LöweAlexandra B FabischHans-Helmut KönigMartin HärterMeike C Shedden-MoraPublished in: Behavioral medicine (Washington, D.C.) (2018)
Many primary care patients with high somatic symptom burden do not initiate mental health treatment. Using a cross-sectional design, this study aimed to identify predictors of psychotherapy seeking behavior for patients with high somatic symptom burden within the last 12 months. Data from 20 primary care practices were analyzed. Patients with high somatic symptom burden were identified using the Patient Health Questionnaire, structured interviews, and information from primary care physicians (PCPs). Within the final sample of 142 patients, 54 (38.03%) had been seeking psychotherapy. More severe somatic symptoms, taking psychopharmacological medication and frequently discussing psychosocial distress with PCPs, were associated with psychotherapy seeking behavior. Depressive and anxiety symptoms, and whether PCPs had diagnosed a somatoform disorder or recommended psychotherapy, were not. The results underline the importance of patient-related factors in psychotherapy seeking behavior.
Keyphrases
- primary care
- mental health
- copy number
- patient reported
- posttraumatic stress disorder
- borderline personality disorder
- healthcare
- end stage renal disease
- case report
- mental illness
- general practice
- chronic kidney disease
- public health
- ejection fraction
- risk factors
- bipolar disorder
- sleep quality
- emergency department
- big data
- machine learning
- artificial intelligence
- cross sectional
- patient reported outcomes
- combination therapy
- replacement therapy