Implementation and Evaluation of Primary Care Behavioral Health in Sweden

'Brief Interventions' (BI) is a multitude of interventions used in patient visits within PCBH. BI start immediately at the initial consultation, which ends with a personally tailored and evidence-informed plan adjusted to the patient's context. The interventions within BI often have their foundation in CBT, ACT or Motivational Interviewing (MI), however interventions from other schools of therapy can also be used. The common theme is that they are principle-based rather than manual-based and focus on behavioural change in relation to a problem, rather than focusing on a specific diagnosis. Follow-up appointments are scheduled flexibly depending on the patient's perceived need. A BI treatment usually consists of 1-4 appointments with several weeks apart and has an open ending, where the patient easily can schedule a new appointment. Clinicians delivering brief interventions will have had 3 days of training as well as regular supervision.

Care As Usual includes the PCC's current routine care for patients with mental and behavioral problems. This can include a multitude of procedures and treatment, such as pharmacological treatment, supportive care, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic therapy of varying lengths. Interviews with patients as well as medical journals will be used to categorise what type of care each individual patient has received.