Behavioral activation for mildly depressed students: randomized controlled trial

Although depression is prevalent among university students, limited and dated research has examined the efficacy of behavioral interventions in treating this population. Based on a modified version of the Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression (BATD; Hopko & Lejuez, 2007; Lejuez, Hopko, & Hopko, 2001) that involved a structured single-session intervention and 2- week treatment period, we conducted a randomized controlled trial comparing individualized BATD and a no-treatment control for university students with mild to moderate depression symptoms (N = 30). Outcome measures assessed depression severity, environmental reward, social support, and somatic anxiety. Repeated measures analyses of variance and reliable change indices indicated that individuals in the BATD group had significantly greater reductions in depression and increased environmental reward at post-treatment relative to the control group. A statistical trend also suggested BATD may show promise toward increasing social support. Given current conditions in many academic institutions that include high demand for mental health services, limited personnel, and time restrictions, brief and parsimonious interventions such as BATD may represent a viable treatment option. Study limitations and future directions are discussed.