Objective: To analyze the impact of psycho-educational groups for patients with mild/moderate depression in relation to attendance in primary care consultations, the consumption of anxiolytics and antidepressants and the number of days of temporary disability of patients who performed the intervention group versus those not performed.
Method: Controlled, longitudinal, prospective cohorts in 13 primary care teams of Barcelona city randomized trial. 232 patients, 120 intervention group and 112 in the control group. The study variables were: sex, age, marital status, nationality, education level, employment status, consumption of anxiolytics and/or antidepressants, number of working days, depressive symptoms, quality of life, co-morbidity and attendance in consulting physician and primary care nurse.
Results: 69.7% of the total sample were healthy persons frequenting the control group and intervention in the nursing represented a reduction of 2 points in the average number of visits made during the pre-intervention year and the year after the intervention. This was not affected attendance in the control group and in visits to the family doctor. A reduction was observed in the number of casualties of those who have made thegroup intervention.
Conclusions: The psychoeducational group intervention for patients with mild/moderate depression makes decrease the assistance frequency of the patients to nurse consultory. Patients who have assisted to psychoeducational group intervention tend to apply less for the medical leave.