Adaption of tele-behavioral activation to increase physical activity in depression: Protocol for iterative...

Area of Science:

• Mental Health
• Behavioral Science
• Telemedicine

Background:

• Depressive disorders impose a significant burden due to poor treatment outcomes, recurrence, and comorbidities.
• Increasing physical activity shows potential for improving depression treatment and physical health.
• Evidence for physical activity interventions integrated into depression treatment is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine a Behavioral Activation (BA) teletherapy intervention adapted to increase physical activity.
• To evaluate and refine the manualized intervention through a pilot study.
• To assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the adapted BA teletherapy.

Main Methods:

• A two-phase study including a pilot (n=15) and a single-arm trial.
• Participants: adults (18-64) with moderate-to-severe depression (PHQ-9 ≥10) and low physical activity.
• Intervention: 8 weekly BA teletherapy sessions + 2 booster sessions; feasibility and efficacy outcomes measured.

Main Results:

• Feasibility outcomes include screening, enrollment, adherence, fidelity, and retention.
• Preliminary efficacy assessed via changes in depressive symptoms and physical activity levels.
• Data will inform a future randomized controlled trial.

Conclusions:

• The adapted BA teletherapy is being evaluated for feasibility and preliminary efficacy.
• Findings will support a larger randomized controlled trial for depression treatment.
• This intervention aims to enhance depression treatment through physical activity integration.