Behavioural Treatments for Depression

Behavioural interventions are widely recognised to be an effective and scientifically proven treatment for depression and a range of other psychological disorders.

In the case of clinical depression a person may display a range of unhealthy behaviours such as withdrawal from social situations, excessive sleeping and binge drinking.  What's more the person often receives 'reinforcement' from these behaviours, meaning that they derive some kind of benefit from them.  For example the person who misses a family wedding may receive sympathy and attention from family members who may otherwise have little time for him.

The starting point for behavioural interventions is to understand the nature and underlying cause of the unhealthy behaviours.  This is then followed by a detailed strategy outlining how to eliminate the inappropriate and harmful behaviours and how to replace these with appropriate ones.  The psychologist will  guide the individual through the process of accessing rewards for healthy behaviour.

This treatment, often referred to as Behavioural Activation Therapy, has been shown to reduce the symptoms of clinical depression and enable the person to positively engage with their environment, work life, family and friends.