Pilot Study of Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Intervention in Primary Care for Mental Health in French-speaking Switzerland

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating a brief Consultation-Liaison CL psychiatry intervention in primary care settings for patients with mental health problems who are under-treated. This mixed methods randomized controlled pilot study, conducted in French-speaking Switzerland, aims to assess the feasibility and practicability of a larger trial. The study focuses on enhancing collaboration between primary care physicians PCPs and psychiatrists to improve mental health care quality, particularly for patients newly reporting mental illness without ongoing psychiatric follow-up. The intervention involves a brief CL psychiatric consultation lasting up to two months within private primary care group practices. Patients in the intervention arm receive 1 to 4 psychiatric sessions organized promptly after referral by their PCP, followed by a joint feedback session with the PCP and psychiatrist. The control arm receives treatment as usual TAU managed by their PCP without psychiatric involvement. The pilot study enrolls 30 participants, randomized equally between intervention and control arms across three primary care sites. Participants complete baseline and follow-up assessments at 3, 6, and 12 months using validated self-report questionnaires measuring psychiatric symptoms, quality of life, and healthcare complexity. A subset of participants, PCPs, and psychiatrists also participate in semi-structured interviews to explore their experiences with the intervention and collaboration. Data collection includes demographic information, symptom scales PHQ-9, GAD-7, PHQ-15, quality of life WHOQOL-BREF, and healthcare system complexity INTERMED. The study evaluates the impact on psychiatric symptoms, quality of life, feasibility, and lived experiences over one year.

Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Intervention in Primary Care: A Pilot Study