Is it acceptable to patients to have supported self‐help interventions delivered through psycho‐educational groups? A qualitative study on the reasons stated for dropout

Group‐based psycho‐educational interventions offer a cost‐effective solution to meeting the very high level of demand for psychological services in primary care. This qualitative study investigated reasons for dropout from an established psychoeducational course programme in Swindon and Wiltshire. Ninety people were followed up by telephone who had attended at least one session of a course over a three‐month period. Reasons stated for dropout were more often related to personal circumstances such as other commitments and ill health (75%), than to dissatisfaction with the courses (25%). It is concluded that providing group‐based interventions for common mental health problems is acceptable to patients in primary care and that service development should focus on making such interventions flexible and accessible to patients.