Jacobson (1996) called Behavioral Activation (BA) to the programming of activities, applied together with cognitive intervention techniques, which allow to improve some behavioral deficit or excess in the person.

It is a therapy that is directed at the treatment of depression and understands the behaviours of the person who suffers from it not only as a symptom, but as part of the essence and maintenance of the disorder.

What is Behavioral Activation?

Among the symptoms of depression, one of the most characteristic is inaction , which is part of a vicious circle in which the person suffering from it is immersed: the lack of activity affects the state of mind and, in the same way, the depressed state of mind produces lack of activity. This relationship is the epicenter of the Behavioral Activation proposal, which contemplates some types of depression as elaborate forms of avoidance.

The aim of this therapy, framed within the third generation therapies of the cognitive-behavioral current, and which is in itself a therapy in its own right, is that depressed patients can organize their lives and change their environment in order to reestablish their relationship with sources of stimuli that represent positive reinforcement for them .

Some of the interventions with behavioral activation methods, aimed at decreasing depressive symptoms are: prioritization of tasks, programming of vital objectives, reinforcement of social contact behaviors and performance of rewarding activities.

How does it work?

The therapy is fundamentally based on prescribing activities to break the dynamics of inactivity . In order to be effective, especially at the beginning, it is necessary that the programming includes easy, rewarding (not only pleasant, since we are looking for activities that are satisfactory and require effort) gradual activities that are very well planned, since, especially at the beginning of the program, it is easy for difficulties to arise.

Current meta-analytic reviews (Cuijpers, van Straten & Warmer-dam, 2007) and experimental work comparing different therapeutic approaches – antidepressant medication, cognitive therapy and behavioural activation therapy – (Dimidjian et al., 2006) have revealed that purely behavioural interventions are sufficient for an efficient and effective approach in depressive disorders.

Your advantages

Some of the advantages of Behavioral Activation programs are the following.

Has demonstrated ample scientific evidence

Compared to drug therapy, it has obtained comparable results and a higher percentage of remission in subjects, as well as adherence to treatment .

It is a simple treatment to apply

Compared to other proposals, it does not require so many steps.

Does not require thought modification, the procedure for which is more complex

The data suggest that the application of the behavioural components by themselves obtains the same result as the application of the complete cognitive therapy .

Conclusion

In short, Behavioral Activation is a therapy with strong empirical support, which provides a new opportunity for treatment for people suffering from depression.

Bibliographic references:

  • Cuijpers, P., van Straten A. and Warmerdam, L. (2007) Psychological treatment versus combined treatment of depression: A metaaalnysis. Drepress Anx: in press.
  • Dimidjian, S., Hollon, S. D., Dobson, K. S., Schmaling, K. B., Kohlenberg, R. J., Addis, M. E., y Jacobson, N. S. (2006). Ensayo aleatorio de activación conductual, terapia cognitiva y medicación antidepresiva en el tratamiento agudo de adultos con depresión mayor. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74(4), 658-670. http://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.74.4.658.