Exploring a Team-Based Psychoeducational Program for Primary Care Wellbeing

A large-scale psychoeducational initiative in Catalonia is shedding light on both the promise—and the limits—of emotional well-being programs for primary care teams.

The Catalan Health Institute implemented a structured, group-based psychoeducational program designed to support emotional wellbeing among staff working in primary care centers. The intervention, delivered by embedded community psychologists known as Community Emotional Well-Being Leads (RBECs), aimed to provide protected time for reflection, emotional expression, and practical self-care strategies within routine working hours.

The study explored how this program functioned in real-world settings, drawing on five focus groups involving 38 participants—both primary care professionals and the psychologists who facilitated the sessions. Participants consistently described a climate of sustained pressure, marked by heavy workloads, staffing constraints, and lingering post-pandemic fatigue. Within this context, the program was widely perceived as timely and welcome. Many professionals characterized the sessions as a rare “protected space” where emotional strain could be acknowledged openly, rather than managed silently alongside clinical duties.

Experiential components of the program—such as guided reflection, group discussion, and mindfulness exercises—were especially valued. Participants reported that these elements felt immediately applicable, helping them reconnect with self-care practices that had been displaced by day-to-day demands. Importantly, the multi-professional group format fostered greater mutual understanding across roles, strengthening team cohesion and communication in some centers.

A central facilitator of engagement was the role of the RBEC psychologists themselves. Their embedded position within primary care teams, combined with contextual knowledge of local pressures, helped build trust and psychological safety. For many psychologists, the program also increased the visibility and legitimacy of their role within primary care, which has historically been less well integrated than other disciplines.

However, the study also highlights significant implementation challenges. Participation varied widely between centers, largely reflecting differences in managerial support. Where leaders actively protected time, adjusted schedules, and provided appropriate physical spaces, attendance was more consistent. In contrast, lack of protected time, competing clinical demands, and inadequate or non-private spaces frequently disrupted sessions. More fundamentally, some participants questioned whether individual-focused interventions could meaningfully address distress rooted in systemic problems.

Overall, the findings suggest that group psychoeducational programs can provide meaningful short-term benefits for emotional relief and team cohesion in primary care.