Unifi ed Protocol in a Group Format for Improving Specifi c Symptoms of Emotional Disorders in the Spanish Public Health System / Protocolo Unifi cado en Formato Grupal Para la Mejora de losSíntomas de los Trastornos Emocionales en el Sistema de Salud Público

RESUMEN

Background: The Unifi ed Protocol (UP) for the transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders (EDs) has demonstrated its effi cacy in improvingdimensions shared by EDs, but there is insuffi cient evidence regarding thespecifi c symptoms of each ED. The main objective of the study was toevaluate the effi cacy of the UP applied in a group format compared withindividual Treatment as Usual (TAU), in improving specifi c ED symptoms.Methods: The study sample (n=243) was a subset of participants of arandomized controlled trial conducted in the Spanish public health system.Specifi c symptoms assessed from pre-treatment to the six-month follow-upwere: depressive, agoraphobic, generalized anxiety, panic, and obsessivecompulsive symptoms. Personality dimensions and quality of life werealso measured. Results: There were statistically signifi cant changes afterthe UP in all the study variables (0.44 = d = 1.35). Changes in depressivesymptoms, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and perceived quality of lifewere superior in the UP. Conclusions: The results support the effi cacyof group UP for improving both transdiagnostic dimensions and specifi cED symptoms, as well as quality of life, through the public health-caresystem.