Introduction
Pyschological disorders are often characterized by psychosomatic symptoms such as muscle tension, headache, insomnia, gastro-intestinal pain, asthenia, arrhythmias or tachycardia. However, many patients do not recognize the psychological origin of these disorders, focusing their concerns exclusively on physical symptoms. These symptoms cause significant distress and interference regarding quality of life (QoL) in those who experience them.


Purpose


This study proposes a multidisciplinary approach that involves psychological counseling, and integration with general practioner, in order to manage psychosomatic symptoms. With the Regional Law of 3 August 2020, Campania is the first Italian Region to have established a Primary Care Psychology service, named "Psicologia di base", in local health companies (ASL Salerno) with the aim of supporting and integrating the action of general practitioners and paediatricians in intercepting and responding to unexpressed psychological needs, as well as, health promotion and disease prevention.


Method
After excluding organic issues, general practioner suggested a primary care psychology counseling for patients with psychosomatic symptoms to evaluate the presence of anxiety-depressive disorders. Depression Anxiety Stress Scales - Short Form (DASS-21) were administered to 7 adult patients, at baseline (T0) and six months later first access to the Primay Care Psychology service (T1).


Results
The results show that patients with acute psychosomatic symptoms, who promptly adhered to both their general practitioner's counseling, psychological ones have shown significant remission of psychosomatics symptoms. Instead, those who refused the psychological counseling, a worsening was found in the initial psychosomatics which evolved in depressive and anxious symptoms, and consequently, worse QoL.


Conclusions


This study suggests the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to improve the QoL of patients and decrease psychosomatic symptoms and psychological distress. In particular, Primary Care Psychology have proven to be effective at the beginning of psychosomatic symptoms, reducing the risk of evolving into depressive and anxious symptoms.