Brief Versions of the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Spanish Primary Care Service: Results of a Feasibility Pilot Study.

Introduction: In recent years, there has been a growing interest in integrating psychological treatments in primary care (PC) for individuals with emotional disorders (EDs), as an alternative to the pharmacological treatments typically offered. Transdiagnostic interventions, such as the Unified Protocol for the Treatment of EDs (UP), in brief group format, have emerged as a viable option for treating EDs in PC services. The aim of the present study was to compare the preliminary clinical utility and feasibility (adherence, quality, usefulness, satisfaction of the intervention, among others) of the UP applied in two group formats of 5 and 8 sessions in a PC setting.

Method: The sample consisted of 43 individuals (72.1% women) with a mean age of 40.7 years (SD = 10.77) treated in PC of the Spanish public health system who had a diagnosis of EDss and who were randomized to two treatment conditions: the 8-session (n = 28) or the 5-session (n = 15) UP group. The variables assessed pre- and posttreatment and at 1-, 3- and 6-month follow-up were anxiety, depression, transdiagnostic emotional regulation dimensions, interference and quality of life.

Results: Over time, statistically significant changes were observed in all variables assessed in both conditions (except for positive temperament and social anxiety). No statistically significant differences were found between the two study conditions (except for traumatic re-experiencing, with higher scores found in the 5-session group), neither in adherence, quality, usefulness, satisfaction, or other feasibility variables, showing high scores in all of them.

Conclusion: The UP in a brief and group format, whether via 5 or 8 group sessions, could be clinically useful and a feasible proposal for addressing EDs in Spanish PC settings.

Trial registration: NCT06547450.