2 - (SYM 19) Valued Action: Addressing the Mental Health of Young People Through Behavioral Activation

Youth and young adults are managing an unprecedented number of stressors. Anxiety and mood disorders are particularly troublesome, with rates doubling during acute COVID-19 times (U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory, 2021). Transdiagnostic interventions that address common processes underlying multiple disorders and problem sets can provide an efficient and robust way to address the clinical complexity facing the mental health system today. Behavioral activation, when paired with exposure-based strategies has shown early support for addressing concerns across problem areas in young people (Martin & Oliver, 2019). The current talk will highlight a program of work developing values-based behavioral activation to address multiple concerns delivered by diverse providers and settings. Results from three trials will be highlighted: (a) in-person group BA (GBAT) for anxious and depressed (A/D) youth (ages 12-15), delivered in a public middle school by school counselors (Chu et al., 2016); (b) in-person individual BA (IBAT) for A/D youth (ages 9-18) delivered by doctoral students in a university clinic, compared against two gold-standard single-target CBT treatments and a watchful waiting control; and (c) telehealth GBAT, modified for autistic adults (ages 18+) delivered by psychology specialists. Across studies, samples contained significant clinical complexity, even when recruitment focused on internalizing targets. Results indicated positive feasibility (participant retention, treatment fidelity) and acceptability (participant satisfaction). Multiple-domain outcomes (diagnostic, symptom, key psychological measures) indicate that BA has promising efficacy, even when compared to established evidence-based protocols. Discussion will discuss IBAT/GBAT’s contributions in the landscape of transdiagnostic interventions, including previewing upcoming projects that integrate values-based action into school-based socio-emotional learning curricula.