Primary Care Psychology

Primary Care Psychology aims to create a service of inno- vative psychological interventions that can be effective for some psycho- pathological conditions that are very common in the population, and which have grown exponentially following the COVID 19 pandemic, conditions that essentially they concern moderate and mild anxiety-depressive syndromes, chronic physical illnesses with secondary psychological disorders, psychological disorders linked to passages and phases of the life cycle and which can be included in the definition of common mental disorders. It is essential that Primary Care Psychology ensures timely, accessible, and inclusive in- terventions. Some fundamental characteristics of the model are: 1) clinical appropriateness, i.e. providing the most appropriate psychological interven- tion to the patient depending on the clinical assessment; 2) graduality, i.e. providing a graduated intervention depending on the intensity of the patient’s psychological suffering; 3) cost-effectiveness, i.e. providing the intervention in a non-invasive and redundant way, but consistent with the patient’s clin- ical condition. It must be a high quality, appropriate, accessible, clinically effective, cost-effective service, aligned with family doctors and community and district care, and integrated with other mental health and general health services. The objectives consist in contributing to the improvement of the psy- chophysical well-being of the population and the adequate use of National Health Services, in promoting appropriate psychological interventions and innovative treatment paths within Primary Care, and in stimulating scientif- ic innovation and practices clinics of both Psychologists and Primary Care Doctors.

Keywords: Primary Care Psychology, common mental disorders, inno- vation, timeliness, cost-effectiveness, Family Doctors.

Michele Liuzzi, La Psicologia nell’assistenza primaria in "RIVISTA SPERIMENTALE DI FRENIATRIA" 1/2024, pp 21-30, DOI: 10.3280/RSF2024-001003