Brief group adaptation of the Unified Protocol for integrated primary care: Open trial of a transdiagnostic intervention delivered via telehealth.
Robyn L Shepardson, Nicola F De Paul, Kelly A Caver et al.
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In 30 seconds
This open-trial pilot evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of Managing Stress and Emotions, a five-class, telehealth group adaptation of the Unified Protocol, in 18 Veterans Health Administration primary-care patients with anxiety, depression, or adjustment difficulties. The classes used experiential, skills-based learning. Engagement was 89%, and participants reported high satisfaction. Mental health symptoms and functioning showed promising pre- to posttreatment changes with medium-to-large effect sizes; gains generally remained stable at 3-month follow-up. The findings support further evaluation, but the uncontrolled design does not establish treatment effectiveness.
Key findings
- Eighty-nine percent of the 18 participants engaged with the intervention, and patients reported high treatment satisfaction.
- Pre- to posttreatment changes in symptoms and functioning had medium-to-large effect sizes; gains generally remained stable at 3-month follow-up.
- Mixed-methods findings indicated greater emotional awareness and increased use of adaptive coping strategies after treatment.
Why it matters
A brief, group-based transdiagnostic intervention delivered by telehealth may offer a feasible way to address varied emotional concerns in integrated primary care. The pilot suggests that participants can engage with this format and report perceived benefit, while providing preliminary outcome data to guide larger evaluations. These findings are relevant to access planning but do not establish comparative efficacy.
What to keep in mind
This was a small, open trial without a comparison group, so it cannot establish that the intervention caused the observed changes or determine comparative effectiveness.