Relations Among Clinical Factors After Behavioral Activation for Subthreshold Depression

The relations among clinical factors after behavioral activation for subthreshold depression remain unclear. This study was designed to assess relations among clinical factors after behavioral activation for subthreshold depression. This randomized controlled trial study examined 51 university students with subthreshold depression who had completed pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 1-year follow-up assessments. We examined relations among variables using structural equation modeling (SEM) based on maximum likelihood estimation. Fitted index values suggest that the proposed model is valid. Results indicate that the greater increase in activation from post-treatment to 1-year follow-up was associated with increased positive reinforcement from post-treatment to 1-year follow-up. Furthermore, the greater increase in positive reinforcement from post-treatment to 1-year follow-up was associated with decreased depressive symptoms from post-treatment to 1-year follow-up. To prevent worsening of depressive symptoms after behavioral activation, more attention must be devoted to changes in activation and positive reinforcement.