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Behavioral Activation for Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial

NCT04700774 · Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 117

Last updated 2025-03-19

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The present study is a randomized controlled trial that will evaluate two versions of behavioral activation (BA); one version which is a standard BA program and one which is a motor enhanced BA program (mBA). In both programs, the patient will receive all standard BA interventions, whereas these - in the mBA program - will be supplemented with interventions focused on noticing and manipulating posture and movement associated with action initiation. The mBA program builds upon recent evidence pointing to motor manipulations of posture and movement as having the potential to assist in action initiation and thus following through with the planned activity schedule. Previous research has shown that patient compliance with the activity schedule is causally associated with depression reduction, which will be explored as a mediator of treatment gains.

Conditions

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Behavioral activation

Brief Behavioral Activation Treatment with and without motor enhancement. All patients will receive 10 online video sessions. BA focuses on increasing overt behaviors to bring patients into contact with reinforcing environmental contingencies and corresponding improvements in thoughts, mood, and quality of life (Hopko, Lejuez, et al., 2003). BA follows the basic behavioral principles of extinction, shaping, fading, and in vivo exposure (Hopko \& Lejuez, 2007; Lejuez et al., 2001, 2011). In the mBA condition only a) patients will be introduced to the idea that the motor system can be used in the service of action initiation and will receive an audio recording with motor manipulations to assist in action initiation and b) the therapist will conduct imaginary behavioral activation and - in session - complete questionnaires identical to those in the experiment before and after the bodily instructions presented in the treatment.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Aarhus

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
70 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2021-01-20
Primary Completion
2025-09-03
Completion
2026-12-31

Countries

  • Denmark

Study Locations

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Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04700774 on ClinicalTrials.gov