Behavioral activation for depression

Behavioral activation is the treatment of depression that works by making the people understand about the environmental reasons of the depression. The main target of this treatment is the situations that those trigger or sustain depression. C.B Ferster brought up an analytical theory regarding depression that provided a substitute to the psychoanalytic theory. Peter Lewinsohn of the University of Oregon was the first person who developed the Behavioral Activation as a treatment of depression.

This treatment increases the pleasant activities in the life of a patient that help reduce the depression. Today, a number of therapists use the same theory of Behavioral Activation. However, many more researches have been made regarding the Cognitive Behavioral Activation treatment of depression. These researches focus mainly up on the typical distortions regarding beliefs and thoughts that are characterized by the depressed persons. The cognitive Behavioral Activation treatment of depression was most studied topic in the 1980s as well as the 1990s. The therapy continuously demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of depression as well as other disorders regarding anxiety.

According to the BA therapy, the people who suffer from depression lack positive reinforcement from the people in their lives. Therefore, the therapy focuses on those particular situations where these people require positive support. If they are provided with this necessary support, they can easily be out of depression.