Mental Health Treatment Provided by Primary Care Psychologists in the Netherlands

Objective: The study examined outcomes of clients treated by primary care psychologists in 2010 in the Netherlands. Methods: Data for 55,067 clients treated by 613 primary care psychologists were analyzed for three outcomes: regular conclusion of treatment, improvement of >10 points on the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), and treatment conclusion in eight or fewer sessions. Logistic regression analyses examined relationships between client characteristics and outcome. Results: For 73% of clients, treatment reached a regular conclusion, and for 71% of these clients treatment was concluded in eight or fewer sessions. An improvement of >10 GAF points was achieved by 47%. Women, clients with more years of education, those born in the Netherlands, and those with adjustment problems or child problems were more likely to have a regular treatment conclusion and an improvement of >10 GAF points. Conclusions: Clients with psycho-pathology of a low or moderate severity were treated successfully by primary care psychologists. (Psychiatric Services 64:94-97, 2013; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201100541)