The Effect of a Brief Online Behavioral Activation Intervention by Activity Type, a Pre-Registered Study

Abstract Depression is a mental health disorder with social and individual costs that can be extreme. In-person therapy for depression can be effective in alleviating depression symptoms–though individuals may face barriers to receiving treatment. Research which assesses online interventions is aimed at finding ways to alleviate the treatment gap. The current study evaluated the efficacy of a behavioral activation online micro-intervention (OMI) for depression by measuring mood, confidence, motivation, and depression scores at baseline and a 3-day follow-up. Data from this study was collected from Prolific, an online data collection and testing resource. All participants were assigned to the active behavioral activation intervention condition. Behavioral activation is a psychotherapeutic tool that helps individuals improve their mood by planning positive activities and increasing rewarding activities. In the current study, the behavioral activation intervention consisted of psychoeducation and activity planning. Of the 106 initial participants, 99 were analyzed for baseline demographic measures and 96 were analyzed at the 3-day follow-up. There was a significant increase in self-reported positive mood, confidence, and motivation to do something to improve mood immediately post-intervention. It was also found that there was a significant change in mood and depression scores at the 3-day follow-up but not for confidence or motivation. There was a significant decrease in overall activity levels from baseline to follow-up. More specifically, pleasant, mastery, and meaningful activities from baseline to follow-up did not increase significantly. There was no indirect effect of mastery activities, meaningful activities, or pleasant activities on change in mood. There was no indirect effect of mastery activities, meaningful activities, or pleasant activities on change in enjoyment. The main limitation of this study is the absence of a control group, making it difficult to attribute improvements in mood, confidence, and motivation to the intervention alone. Future research should include a control group and larger sample sizes to examine intervention effects, as well as assess whether repeated and consecutive OMIs can enhance benefits over time. A behavioral activation OMI for depression can be a low-cost, easy and effective tool in addressing depression symptoms at three days follow-up. However, the effect of the OMI on activity levels remains unclear.