29 April 2015

Behavioural Activation and Value Driven Action

The lethargy cycle in depression represents at pattern that often occurs when people are depressed that is an interaction between their thoughts, feelings and behaviours. When people are depressed they tend to think more negatively about themselves, the world and their future. The negative thinking is a significant factor in creating low mood, which includes feelings of sadness, anxiety and anger.  The physical effects of depression result from these feelings and these include low energy, poor concentration and memory, low motivation. Often when people are depressed they lose interest in activities that they used to enjoy and withdraw socially because of how they are feeling about themselves and the world.

In order to improve depressed mood it’s important to alter the lethargy cycle by increasing activity through a cognitive behavioural strategy called Behavioural Activation. Behavioural Activation is the first step in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in the treatment of depression. It involves increasing activity through doing certain things that achieve certain emotional responses. Specifically, in ways that gives the individual a sense of pleasure and mastery. Mastery is described as a sense of achievement and personal effectiveness. It is important to do activities that give a sense of pleasure and mastery, rather than doing activities that make one feel a sense of just one of these constructs, in order to lift depressed mood. It’s also important to work out what makes you personally feel pleasure or mastery. For example, having a bath or watching TV might give one a sense of pleasure only, yet cleaning or doing everyday tasks might give a sense of mastery only.

The Black Dog Institute has done research that has shown that Behavioural Activation is very effective in lifting depressed mood, and it can change unhelpful thinking patterns also. This is probably because it gives one a sense of effectiveness and enjoyment, which is something that is decreased when a person is depressed. Choosing to take actions that are driven by the values one holds can also be helpful in improving mood and make individuals feel that they are living in line with their values despite going through difficult emotions, which gives a sense of vitality and satisfaction in life. Often people choose to do things that are counterproductive when they are feeling depressed, such as doing things that make them feel more sad and hopeless. So the next time your mood is low, try to choose an action that is in line with the values you hold and makes you feel a sense of pleasure or mastery, and see if this helps your mood improve.

Dr Rani Ellison BA (Hons), DCP