SynthesisSubstance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy2018
Effects of behavioural activation on substance use and depression: a systematic review.
Synthesis in Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 28 papers, 2 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for adults with substance use disorder that have a co-occurring mental health disorder: an umbrella review and illustrative cost-effectiveness analysis.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2026Pooled it
- Behavioral Activation Disseminated by Non-Mental Health Professionals, Paraprofessionals, and Peers: A Systematic Review.Behavior therapy · 2023Pooled it
- A randomized feasibility study of a positive psychology journaling intervention to support recovery from substance-use disorders.Journal of substance use and addiction treatment · 2024Trial
- Individual Predictors of Response to A Behavioral Activation-Based Digital Smoking Cessation Intervention: A Machine Learning Approach.Substance use & misuse · 2024Trial
- History and Correlates of Smoking Cessation Behaviors Among Individuals With Current or Past Major Depressive Disorder Enrolled in a Smoking Cessation Trial.Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco · 2022Trial
- Act Healthy: A Randomized Clinical Trial Evaluating a Behavioral Activation Intervention to Address Substance Use and Medication Adherence Among Low-Income, Black/African American Individuals Living with HIV/AIDS.AIDS and behavior · 2022Trial
- Cognitive-behavioral treatment with behavioral activation for smoking cessation: Randomized controlled trial.PloS one · 2019Trial
- Atypical contributions of reward decisions to momentary mood in individuals with methamphetamine use disorder.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
- Examining bidirectional associations between cannabis use and internalizing symptoms among high-risk emerging adults: A prospective cohort study.Psychological medicine · 2025Article
- The Development of a Patient-Centered Digital Health Care Technology for Young Adults in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment: Qualitative Study.JMIR formative research · 2025Article
- Effectiveness of a Behavioral Activation Intervention for Peripartum Women with Opioid Use Disorder.Journal of clinical psychology in medical settings · 2025Article
- Behavioral activation for veterans with co-occurring alcohol use disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder: Basis and methodology for a pilot randomized controlled trial.Contemporary clinical trials · 2024Article
- Behavioral therapies targeting reward mechanisms in substance use disorders.Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior · 2024Review
- Methamphetamine dependence in Australia-why is 'ice' (crystal meth) so addictive?Psychiatry, psychology, and law : an interdisciplinary journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law · 2024Article
- The effectiveness of behavioral activation therapy on the symptoms of depression, rumination, and social-occupational functioning impairment among women with postpartum depression.Journal of education and health promotion · 2024Article
- Predictors of short-term response and the role of heavy alcohol use in treatment of depression.BMC psychiatry · 2023Article
- Patterns of demoralization and anhedonia during early substance use disorder treatment and associations with treatment attrition.Journal of affective disorders · 2023Article
- Increasing community engagement: Skills used by adults with schizophrenia participating in a psychosocial intervention.Psychiatric rehabilitation journal · 2023Article
- Functioning of the EROS-R Scale in a Clinical Sample of Psychiatric Patients: New Psychometric Evidence from the Classical Test Theory and the Item Response Theory.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Applying the Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment to derive neurofunctional domains in individuals who use methamphetamine.Behavioural brain research · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionSubstance use and depression co-occurrence is a frequent phenomenon and an important public health concern. Given the clinical implications and the high prevalence of both disorders, effective interventions are needed.
methodsThe aim of this study is to review Behavioural Activation (BA) intervention effects to improve substance use behaviour and depression. A systematic review was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO. The Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool (EPHPP) was used to assess the methodological quality of included studies. Two authors independently screened titles and abstracts, reviewed selected studies, and extracted data.
resultsOf the 7286 studies identified, eight met inclusion criteria. Designs of the studies included six randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and two pre-post design studies. One trial received weak methodological quality, six moderate, and one strong. Three studies addressed smoking behaviour; two targeted opiate dependence; two focused on alcohol/drug dependence; and, one on crystal methamphetamine abuse. Results showed that BA had a positive effect on substance use outcomes in seven of the eight reviewed studies, and improved depression over time in six studies.
conclusionsAlthough studies conducted so far are limited by their heterogeneity and sample sizes, results are promising. There is a need of well controlled and powered studies to establish and to confirm the effectiveness of BA for the treatment of substance use and depression. Future studies should include stronger methodological designs, larger sample sizes, and long-term follow-ups.
trial registrationPROSPERO registration number: CRD42016039412 .
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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.