Our intervention aims to support depressed young people in developing confidence, to connect with others, and increase activities that are important to them, which we hope will help with their recovery
Professor Bernadka Dubicka
What is the purpose of the BAY study?
Depression is a common problem in young people, and around one in 5 teenagers will experience at least one episode of depression by the age of 18. Symptoms can include sadness, irritability, loss of interest and pleasure in activities, tiredness or lack of energy, loss of confidence, trouble with concentration and sleep, and changes in appetite. Low mood can affect many aspects of young people’s lives including their relationships with others, education, and physical health. Rates of emotional disorders in young people have been increasing and the covid-19 pandemic has negatively affected the mental health of young people with an increased demand on services. Even before the pandemic, only 25% of children and young people with mental health disorders accessed help; those that do often have long waits for specialist therapy after assessment.
Why are we using behavioural activation?
Behavioural activation (BA) is a type of therapy that has shown to be effective in depressed adults. However, there is limited evidence of its effectiveness in young people. The current study uses a newly developed version of BA consisting of an 8 session workbook, with has also been developed as an online version to be delivered as a blended approach. The aim of this research is to see whether BA, as delivered by non-specialist clinicians in CAMHS, works for young people with low mood. We also want to find out whether this therapy can deliver value for money for the NHS, how acceptable it is to young people, carers and clinicians, and whether it can reduce the need for more specialised therapy. We will be measuring the effectiveness of BA, information about depression (psychoeducation, PE) and CAMHS usual care, compared with PE and CAMHS usual care in newly referred depressed adolescents in specialist CAMHS.
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