TY - JOUR

T1 - Exploring Behavioural Activation as a treatment for low mood within CAMHS

T2 - an IPA study of adolescent experiences

AU - Shenton, Naomi

AU - Redmond, Tomos

AU - Kroll, Leo

AU - Parry, Sarah

N1 - The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 26 (4), 2021, © SAGE Publications Ltd, 2021 by SAGE Publications Ltd at the Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry page: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13591045211031743 on SAGE Journals Online: http://journals.sagepub.com/

PY - 2021/10/1

Y1 - 2021/10/1

N2 - Low mood is the most commonly diagnosed mental health condition affecting adolescents; however, it remains complex to treat due to multi-systemic risk and maintaining factors. Behavioural Activation (BA) is a brief therapy which demonstrates promising treatment outcomes, although limited qualitative accounts exist of how adolescents experience this. This is one of the first studies undertaken in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to explore the perspectives of adolescent’s with low mood who have received BA therapy. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted from one-to-one interviews with nine adolescents who received BA, generating an idiographic account of their experiences. Three superordinate themes emerged: how the format of BA can promote the integration of coping skills into one’s life; how interpersonal connections and therapeutic relationships may improve intervention outcomes; and how BA principles could be internalised as part of a young person’s day-to-day life. Participants valued the structure and flexibility of the manualised approach, forming an alliance with the therapist, and enhancing interpersonal relationships. This study details how BA can enhance resiliency skills for adolescents experiencing low mood and illustrates some of the change process at inter and intrapersonal levels, which should guide further youth-led research.

AB - Low mood is the most commonly diagnosed mental health condition affecting adolescents; however, it remains complex to treat due to multi-systemic risk and maintaining factors. Behavioural Activation (BA) is a brief therapy which demonstrates promising treatment outcomes, although limited qualitative accounts exist of how adolescents experience this. This is one of the first studies undertaken in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to explore the perspectives of adolescent’s with low mood who have received BA therapy. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted from one-to-one interviews with nine adolescents who received BA, generating an idiographic account of their experiences. Three superordinate themes emerged: how the format of BA can promote the integration of coping skills into one’s life; how interpersonal connections and therapeutic relationships may improve intervention outcomes; and how BA principles could be internalised as part of a young person’s day-to-day life. Participants valued the structure and flexibility of the manualised approach, forming an alliance with the therapist, and enhancing interpersonal relationships. This study details how BA can enhance resiliency skills for adolescents experiencing low mood and illustrates some of the change process at inter and intrapersonal levels, which should guide further youth-led research.

KW - Behavioural activation

KW - low mood

KW - depression

KW - child and adolescent mental health services

KW - adolescent low mood

KW - child and adolescent mental health

KW - qualitative methodology

U2 - 10.1177/13591045211031743

DO - 10.1177/13591045211031743

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34250833

VL - 26

SP - 1153

EP - 1169

JO - Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry

JF - Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry

SN - 1359-1045

IS - 4

ER -