Development and Testing of a Behavioral Activation Mobile Therapy for Elevated Depressive Systems

Summary

Elevated depressive symptomatology is a widespread public health concern and individuals with elevated depressive symptoms most frequently report such symptoms to primary care physicians (PCPs). PCPs have few evidence-based resources beyond antidepressant medication for treating elevated depressive symptoms, which results in negative outcomes for their depressed patients. Mobile technologies offer an ideal strategy to meet widespread treatment needs. The purpose of the proposed project is to\\ customize Behavioral Activation (BA), a straightforward, empirically supported treatment for elevated depressive symptoms, for a mobile format (Moodivate) in order to address the currently unmet needs of PCPs and their patients with elevated depressive symptoms.

Conditions

• Depression

Interventions

OTHER

Behavioral Activation

BA is based in behavioral principles of depression that suggest that depression is caused by a lack of reinforcement in the environment for positive, non-depressed behaviors. As such, the goal of BA is to help the patient reengage in positive, non-depressed activities. In clinical trials, BA as a treatment component has been consistently superior to no treatment and treatment as usual control groups, and a large body of research has found that BA is either equally or more effective than CBT, CT, and antidepressant medications (Cuijpers, Van Straten, \& Warmerdam, 2007; Dimidjian et al., 2006; Jacobson et al., 1996).

OTHER

Cognitvie Based Therapy

CBT explores patterns of thinking that lead to self-destructive actions and the beliefs that direct these thoughts, people with mental illness can modify their patterns of thinking to improve coping

OTHER

Treatment as Usual

Individuals will be provided with one on one therapy sessions

Sponsors & Collaborators

• MOUNTAINPASS TECHNOLOGY, LLC

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Medical University of South Carolina

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Maryland, College Park

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Carl Lejuez, Ph.D. · University of Maryland, College Park

• Jennifer Dahne, MS · University of Maryland, College Park

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2016-06-01

Primary Completion

2016-09-01

Completion

2016-12-31