title: [Behavioural activation as a first-line treatment for depression].
abstract: Psychological treatments are important to reduce the global burden of depression; however, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which is considered the gold-standard treatment, is costly and sparsely available. Behavioural activation (BA) is a psychological treatment aimed at overcoming depression by increasing positive activities, with the help of registration and activity scheduling. It is a simpler and less costly alternative to CBT, and is no less effective in the treatment of moderate to severe depression. Two-thirds of depressed patients can be effectively treated with BA, providing evidence for it being an important extension of the therapeutic arsenal for depression; this will quite probably be reflected by a more prominent place for this treatment in upcoming guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Radboudumc, afd. Psychiatrie, Nijmegen.
authors.forename: Ph
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van Eijndhoven
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Schene
mesh_terms: D001519:Behavior; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003863:Depression; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans