College of Behavioral & Social Sciences
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The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations..
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Item Examining the Effect of the LET'S ACT Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression on Substance Abuse Treatment Dropout(2009) Magidson, Jessica F; Lejuez, Carl W.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Despite the prevalence of depression among substance users and the negative impact of depressive symptoms on substance abuse treatment outcomes, few interventions targeting depression have been developed to meet the needs of depressed substance users, particularly in low-income urban areas. The current study aimed to replicate and expand upon promising preliminary findings for the use of a brief behavioral activation approach [Life Enhancement Treatment for Substance Use (LET'S ACT; Daughters et al., 2008)] to treat depression in the context of inner-city residential substance abuse treatment. Main extensions to the previous study include a comparison of LET'S ACT to a contact-time matched control treatment, Supportive Counseling (SC), and a more definitive evaluation of the effect of LET'S ACT on substance abuse treatment dropout. Results indicated that compared to SC, participants receiving LET'S ACT evidenced significantly lower rates of substance abuse treatment dropout and depressive symptoms, as evidenced by a significant treatment x time interaction with the change in self-reported and clinician-rated depressive symptoms from baseline to the 2-week follow up, as well as significantly higher rates of behavioral activation, as evidenced by a significant treatment x time interaction with scores on the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale (BADS) from pre- to post-treatment. This study builds on preliminary evidence for LET'S ACT as a short-term behavioral treatment for depression in residential substance abuse treatment and offers initial support for the effect of LET'S ACT on substance use outcomes.Item A Behavioral Activation Approach to Smoking Cessation for Depressed Smokers at VA Medical Centers.(2007-07-19) Bercaw, Edwin; Lejuez, Carl W; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Depressed smokers experience greater difficulty in quitting, and patients who report improvement in depressive symptoms during smoking cessation treatment achieve higher rates of abstinence. Patients may benefit from a novel treatment approach that combines standard smoking cessation with behavioral activation treatment for depression (BA; Jacobson et al., 1996). Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center patients are a psychiatrically complex population with a smoking prevalence 10% higher than the general population. VA patients experience low cessation rates and may be underserved by standard treatments. The purpose of the present study was the development and initial investigation of a brief BA-based smoking intervention called the Life Enhancement Treatment for Smoking (LETS-Quit). A total of 21 VA patients with elevated (>12) Beck Depression Inventory-II scores (BDI-II; Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1996) received 3-sessions of LETS-Quit or a control treatment and were followed for 30 days. A small sample size limited treatment evaluation and no benefit of LETS-Quit on smoking outcome was noted. However, findings suggested a strong effect of LETS-Quit on depressive symptoms. Treatment of depression during smoking cessation may greatly improve long-term success rates for this difficult to treat population. The feasibility and potential effectiveness of LETS-Quit in outpatient medical settings is discussed to guide further treatment evaluation.