SynthesisPloS one2014
Behavioural activation for depression; an update of meta-analysis of effectiveness and sub group analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 228 papers, 13 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
"Eficacia de la Terapia de activación Conductual Para Pacientes Con Dolor crónico: Ensayo clínico Randomizado"
Peer-Delivered Behavioral Activation Intervention to Improve Adherence to MT Among Low-Income, Minority Individuals With OUD
Well-being Online: Internet-based Self-administered Intervention to Reduce Anxiety and Depression Symptomatology: Randomized Clinical Trial in 7 Countries
Who cites it
228 citing papers in PubMed, 13 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Revealing the evolution of behavioral activation research trends over two decades through keyword network analysis.PloS one · 2025Pooled it
- Is behavioural activation an effective treatment for depression in children and adolescents? An updated systematic review and meta-analysis.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- Behavioral Activation Disseminated by Non-Mental Health Professionals, Paraprofessionals, and Peers: A Systematic Review.Behavior therapy · 2023Pooled it
- Exploring the efficacy of psychotherapies for depression: a multiverse meta-analysis.BMJ mental health · 2023Pooled it
- Efficacy and acceptability of third-wave psychotherapies in the treatment of depression: a network meta-analysis of controlled trials.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Pooled it
- Can we mitigate the psychological impacts of social isolation using behavioural activation? Long-term results of the UK BASIL urgent public health COVID-19 pilot randomised controlled trial and living systematic review.Evidence-based mental health · 2022Pooled it
- Residual posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms after provision of brief behavioral intervention in low- and middle-income countries: An individual-patient data meta-analysis.Depression and anxiety · 2022Pooled it
- Determining what constitutes an effective psychosocial 'return to work' intervention: a systematic review and narrative synthesis.BMC public health · 2021Pooled it
- Behavioural activation therapy for depression in adults with non-communicable diseases.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020Pooled it
- Behavioural activation therapy for depression in adults.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020Pooled it
- Pharmacy-based management for depression in adults.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019Pooled it
- Behavioral activation for children and adolescents: a systematic review of progress and promise.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2019Pooled it
- Effects of behavioural activation on substance use and depression: a systematic review.Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy · 2018Pooled it
- The African youth in mind (Y-MIND) brief psychological intervention for depression among school-going adolescents in Ghana: a development case series.BMC psychiatry · 2026Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- Usability testing of a digital tool to support behavioural activation for depression with young people aged 12 to 18.Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry · 2026Trial
- The effectiveness of behavioral activation and antidepressant medication on the reduction of suicidality in patients with major depressive disorder.BMC psychiatry · 2025Trial
- Impact of Activation Therapy for Inpatients With Major Depression: Primary and Secondary Outcomes From a Randomised Controlled Trial.Bipolar disorders · 2025Trial
- Task-sharing and telemedicine delivery of psychotherapy to treat perinatal depression: a pragmatic, noninferiority randomized trial.Nature medicine · 2025Trial
168 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDepression is a common, disabling condition for which psychological treatments are recommended. Behavioural activation has attracted increased interest in recent years. It has been over 5 years since our meta-analyses summarised the evidence supporting and this systematic review updates those findings and examines moderators of treatment effect.
methodRandomised trials of behavioural activation for depression versus controls or anti-depressant medication were identified using electronic database searches, previous reviews and reference lists. Data on symptom level and study level moderators were extracted and analysed using meta-analysis, sub-group analysis and meta-regression respectively.
resultsTwenty six randomised controlled trials including 1524 subjects were included in this meta-analysis. A random effects meta-analysis of symptom level post treatment showed behavioural activation to be superior to controls (SMD -0.74 CI -0.91 to -0.56, k = 25, N = 1088) and medication (SMD -0.42 CI -0.83 to-0.00, k = 4, N = 283). Study quality was low in the majority of studies and follow- up time periods short. There was no indication of publication bias and subgroup analysis showed limited association between moderators and effect size.
conclusionsThe results in this meta-analysis support and strengthen the evidence base indicating Behavioural Activation is an effective treatment for depression. Further high quality research with longer term follow-up is needed to strengthen the evidence base.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.