Mechanisms of Change in Behavioral Activation: Adapting Depression Treatment for Autistic People

Bal, Vanessa H.; Wilkinson, Ellen; Glascock, Victoria; Hastings, Richard P.; Jahoda, Andrew

doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2022.03.006

Cited by 13 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Our results further emphasized the need to individualize treatment, as the range and prioritization of experiences that influence mood vary greatly across individuals. For example, Bal et al, (2022) outlines areas that may be important to consider in behavioral activation interventions to target depression for autistic individuals, including activities that promote structure, a sense of purpose and identity, a sense of control, social connectedness, and leisure. In sum, while our findings provide a starting point with common themes skills needed to build interpersonal relationships and foster positive interactions.…”

Section: Negative Emotional Experiences and Poor Mental And Physical ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-reported Everyday Sources of Happiness and Unhappiness in Autistic Adults

Parenteau

Lampinen

Ghods

et al. 2023

J Autism Dev Disord

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Purpose: Daily mood can be influenced by a range of experiences. Identifying everyday life experiences that make autistic adults happy and unhappy holds potential to foster positive mood and tackle mental health problems amongst this group. Methods: A total of 293 autistic adults between the ages of 18 to 35 years old (mean age of 26.51 years old ( SD = 4.62); 43.3% female gender, 4.8% nonbinary) provided open-text responses regarding everyday sources of happiness and unhappiness. Using an iterative process of inductive coding, 14 happy themes and 22 unhappy themes of mood-changing life experiences were identified based on self-report qualitative data. Results: Common themes across the happy and unhappy domain involved social partners, social interactions, and engagement in recreational and employment activities, with additional distinct themes specific to happy or unhappy mood. Top themes identified in the happy domain emphasizes encouraging quality relationships and positive interactions with others and cultivating supportive work/societal environments to build a sense of achievement and value. Meanwhile, emotional tolls accompanied negative relationships and interactions, underscoring the necessity to provide autistic adults with conflict resolution and coping skills to increase feelings of happiness. Conclusion: Overall, the wide range of sources of happy and unhappy everyday experiences highlights the importance of considering personal preferences in engagement with others and activities in treatment.

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Section: Negative Emotional Experiences and Poor Mental And Physical ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-reported Everyday Sources of Happiness and Unhappiness in Autistic Adults

Parenteau

Lampinen

Ghods

et al. 2023

J Autism Dev Disord

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“…The structure, routine, planning and predictability of activities, and managing transitions across the person's day, might also play a crucial role in initiating or engaging some individuals in activity (cf. Bal et al, 2022).…”

Section: Scheduling Activity-homework Tasksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adapting psychological interventions for people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities: A behavioural activation exemplar

Jahoda,

Dagnan,

Hastings

et al. 2024

Research Intellect Disabil

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BackgroundPeople with severe to profound intellectual disabilities experience similar or higher levels of depression than those with more mild intellectual disabilities. Yet, there is an absence of evidence about how to adapt existing psychological therapies for this population.MethodA behavioural activation intervention (BeatIt) for people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities was adapted for people with severe to profound intellectual disabilities and depression. Key considerations include: (i) beginning with a more in‐depth assessment process; (ii) including the person in session activities and developing a relationship with them; (iii) formulation and the use of film to document the link between activity and mood; and (iv) addressing barriers to change at an individual and inter‐personal level and considering how the carer could support the person's engagement in activity.ResultsSuccessfully adapting BeatIt represents a first step towards gathering evidence about the effectiveness of behavioural activation for people with severe to profound intellectual disabilities.

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“…Present findings warrant a re-evaluation of intervention priorities, adding to a body of recent evidence that dispels these historical notions by affirming not only that many autistic people do explicitly report desire for social connection, but that one's SSC influences the development of depressive symptoms regardless of the level of this desire. Behavioral activation, a standard treatment for depression (Bal et al, 2022;Dimidjian et al, 2014), relies on increasing healthful and meaningful activities irrespective of motivation. Current findings suggest social activities support the mental health of autistic college students, and thus increasing social activities may be a valuable treatment target to prevent or treat depression, a prevalent condition in both the autistic and college student populations.…”

Section: The Role Of Social Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Satisfaction with social connectedness is associated with depression and anxiety symptoms in neurodiverse first-semester college students

McKenney,

Richards,

Day

et al. 2024

Autism

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Social difficulties and mental health are primary behavioral health concerns in autistic young adults, perhaps especially during key life transitions such as entering college. This study evaluated how dissatisfaction with social connectedness may predict and/or maintain depression and anxiety symptoms in neurodiverse, first-semester, undergraduate students ( N = 263; n = 105 with diagnosed or suspected autism). Participation included a baseline survey battery, a brief survey completed twice per week across 12 weeks, and an endpoint survey battery. Social dissatisfaction at baseline was prospectively associated with biweekly ratings of depression symptoms, when controlling for baseline depressive symptoms. Social dissatisfaction was synchronously related to elevated sadness, anhedonia, and anxiety throughout the semester. These relationships were generally consistent across levels of baseline social motivation; however, there was one significant moderation effect—the negative relationship between baseline social satisfaction and anxiety was strongest for more socially motivated participants. More autistic traits were related to lower social satisfaction at baseline and greater mood concerns across timepoints. In contrast, greater autistic traits at baseline were related to greater satisfaction with social connectedness throughout the semester. Results support ongoing efforts to address mental health in autistic college students by highlighting the importance of social satisfaction. Lay abstract How satisfied people feel with their social connections and support is related to mental health outcomes for many different types of people. People may feel less socially connected at some times in their life—like when they start college. Feeling disconnected from others could lead to depression or anxiety. The transition to college may be especially difficult for autistic students as they are more likely to have difficulties adjusting socially. In our study, we asked 263 college students to answer questions about their emotions and social satisfaction twice per week during their first semester of college. We found that students who reported being less satisfied with their social connectedness (either at the beginning or throughout the semester) tended to express more symptoms of depression and anxiety. This relationship between social satisfaction and anxiety was even stronger for people who had a strong desire for social interaction (i.e. were more socially motivated). Students with more autistic traits tended to report more mood concerns, and they also reported being less satisfied with friendships at the beginning of the semester. This information may help to support ongoing efforts to better address mental health in autistic college students by encouraging efforts to improve social satisfaction.

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Mechanisms of Change in Behavioral Activation: Adapting Depression Treatment for Autistic People

Cited by 13 publications

References 48 publications

Self-reported Everyday Sources of Happiness and Unhappiness in Autistic Adults

Self-reported Everyday Sources of Happiness and Unhappiness in Autistic Adults

Adapting psychological interventions for people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities: A behavioural activation exemplar

Satisfaction with social connectedness is associated with depression and anxiety symptoms in neurodiverse first-semester college students

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