***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: A tendency toward abstract and overgeneral processing is a cognitive bias hypothesized to causally contribute to symptoms of depression . This hypothesis predicts that training dysphoric individuals to become more concrete and specific in their thinking would reduce depressive symptoms . To test this prediction , 60 participants with dysphoria were r and omly allocated either to ( a ) concreteness training ; ( b ) bogus concreteness training , matched with concreteness training for treatment rationale , experimenter contact , and treatment duration but without active engagement in concrete thinking ; ( c ) a waiting-list , no training control . Concreteness training result ed in significantly greater decreases in depressive symptoms and significantly greater increases in concrete thinking than the waiting-list and the bogus training control , and significantly greater decreases in rumination than the waiting-list control . These findings suggest that concreteness training has potential as a guided self-help intervention for mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms BACKGROUND Behavioural activation appears as effective as cognitive-behaviour therapy ( CBT ) in the treatment of depression . If equally effective , then behavioural activation may be the preferred treatment option because it may be suitable for delivery by therapists with less training . This is the first r and omised controlled trial to look at this possibility . AIMS To examine whether generic mental health workers can deliver effective behavioural activation as a step-three high-intensity intervention . METHOD A r and omised controlled trial ( IS RCT N27045243 ) comparing behavioural activation ( n=24 ) with treatment as usual ( n=23 ) in primary care . RESULTS Intention-to-treat analyses indicated a difference in favour of behavioural activation of -15.79 ( 95 % CI -24.55 to -7.02 ) on the Beck Depression Inventory-II and Work and Social Adjustment Scale ( mean difference -11.12 , 95 % CI -17.53 to -4.70 ) . CONCLUSIONS Effective behavioural activation appears suitable for delivery by generic mental health professionals without previous experience as therapists . Large-scale trial comparisons with an active comparator ( CBT ) are needed OBJECTIVE Depression is highly prevalent among illicit drug users , and this co-occurrence is associated with poorer treatment outcomes . However , there has been limited empirical attention toward developing and assessing behavioral interventions for depression among illicit drug users . The objective of the current study was to test the efficacy of integrating a brief behavioral intervention for depression into st and ard inpatient substance abuse treatment . METHOD Forty-four adult illicit drug users with mild to moderate depressive symptoms ( Beck Depression Inventory-II [ BDI-II ] score > or= 10 ) who were receiving inpatient substance abuse treatment were r and omly assigned to either treatment as usual ( TAU ) alone or TAU plus brief behavioral therapy for depression ( i.e. , Life Enhancement Treatment for Substance Use [ LETS Act ! ] ) . Patients were assessed at baseline for DSM-IV psychiatric diagnoses , depressive symptoms ( Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression , BDI-II ) , anxiety symptoms ( Beck Anxiety Inventory ) , and enjoyment and reward value of activities ( Environmental Reward Observation Scale ) . Patients were again assessed at posttreatment and at 2-week follow-up . Treatment satisfaction and attrition rates also were assessed at posttreatment . Data were collected from November 2005 to March 2006 . RESULTS Patients who received the LETS Act ! intervention ( N = 22 ) evidence d significantly greater improvements than the TAU group ( N = 22 ) in severity of depression , anxiety symptoms , and enjoyment and reward value of activities at posttreatment and in depressive symptoms at 2-week follow-up . The LETS Act ! group also reported significantly higher treatment satisfaction ratings . CONCLUSIONS This study supports the efficacy of LETS Act ! in treating depressive symptoms and improving the enjoyment and reward value of activities among illicit drug users currently receiving inpatient substance use treatment . Data also indicate the intervention may help prevent treatment attrition . LETS Act ! appears to be a feasible and parsimonious intervention to improve the treatment of depression and overall quality of care within inpatient substance abuse treatment setting BACKGROUND Depressed patients are often characterised by marital distress , but few studies investigate the effects of marital therapy on depressed mood and relationship dysfunction . METHOD Twenty-seven depressed patients experiencing marital distress were r and omly assigned to either individual behavioural-cognitive therapy or marital therapy . The individual treatment condition focused on depressed mood , behavioural activity and dysfunctional cognitions , whereas in the marital condition the partner was involved in the treatment and the focus was on the communication process in the marital relationship . MANOVAs revealed that treatment led to statistically significant improvements in depressed mood , behavioural activity and dysfunctional cognitions , an increase in relationship satisfaction and improvement of communication in patients and spouses . A significant interaction effect was found , showing that marital therapy had more impact on relationship variables than the individual treatment . CONCLUSION Both individual cognitive-behaviour therapy and marital therapy lead to less depressive complaints , and both treatment conditions have a positive effect on the relationship , although the effect on the relationship is significantly stronger in couples who were tested by marital therapy compared with patients who were treated individually Background Despite the high prevalence of postnatal depression ( PND ) , few women seek help . Internet interventions may overcome many of the barriers to PND treatment use . We report a phase II evaluation of a 12-session , modular , guided Internet behavioural activation ( BA ) treatment modified to address postnatal-specific concerns [ Netmums Helping With Depression ( NetmumsHWD ) ] . Method To assess feasibility , we measured recruitment and attrition to the trial and examined telephone session support and treatment adherence . We investigated sociodemographic and psychological predictors of treatment adherence . Effectiveness outcomes were estimated with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale ( EPDS ) , Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 , Work and Social Adjustment Scale , Postnatal Bonding Question naire , and Social Provisions Scale . Results A total of 249 women were recruited via a UK parenting site , Netmums.com . A total of 83 women meeting DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder were r and omized to NetmumsHWD ( n = 41 ) or treatment-as-usual ( TAU ; n = 42 ) . Of the 83 women , 71 ( 86 % ) completed the EPDS at post-treatment , and 71 % ( 59/83 ) at the 6-month follow-up . Women completed an average of eight out of 12 telephone support sessions and five out of 12 modules . Working women and those with less support completed fewer modules . There was a large effect size favouring women who received NetmumsHWD on depression , work and social impairment , and anxiety scores at post-treatment compared with women in the TAU group , and a large effect size on depression at 6 months post-treatment . There were small effect sizes for postnatal bonding and perceived social support . Conclusions A supported , modular , Internet BA programme can be feasibly delivered to postpartum women , offering promise to improve depression , anxiety and functioning BACKGROUND Behavioural activation might be a viable alternative to antidepressant medication for major depressive disorder . AIMS To compare the effectiveness of behavioural activation and treatment as usual ( TAU , antidepressant medication ) for major depressive disorder in routine clinical practice in Iran . METHOD Patients with major depressive disorder ( n = 100 ) were r and omised to 16 sessions of behavioural activation ( n = 50 ) or antidepressant medication ( n = 50 ) ( I RCT 138807192573N1 ) . The main outcome was depression , measured with the Beck Depression Inventory ( BDI ) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression ( HRSD ) , assessed at 0 , 4 , 13 and 49 weeks . RESULTS Symptom reduction was greater in the behavioural activation group than in the TAU group on both the BDI and the HRSD at 13 and 49 weeks in multilevel analysis . Baseline depression severity was a moderator , with relatively better effects for behavioural activation in individuals who were more severely depressed . Also , there was better retention in the behavioural activation than in the TAU group . CONCLUSIONS Behavioural activation is a viable and effective treatment for people with major depressive disorder , especially for those who are more severely depressed , and it can successfully be disseminated into routine practice setting s in a non-Western country such as Iran The purpose of this study was to provide an experimental test of the theory of change put forth by A. T. Beck , A. J. Rush , B. F. Shaw , and G. Emery ( 1979 ) to explain the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy ( CT ) for depression . The comparison involved r and omly assigning 150 out patients with major depression to a treatment focused exclusively on the  behavioral activation ( BA ) component of CT  , a treatment that included both BA and the teaching of skills to modify automatic thoughts ( AT ) , but excluding the components of CT focused on core schema , or the full CT treatment . Four experienced cognitive therapists conducted all treatments . Despite excellent adherence to treatment protocol s by the therapists , a clear bias favoring CT , and the competent performance of CT , there was no evidence that the complete treatment produced better outcomes , at either the termination of acute treatment or the 6-month follow-up , than either component treatment . Furthermore , both BA and AT treatments were just as effective as CT at altering negative thinking as well as dysfunctional attributional styles . Finally , attributional style was highly predictive of both short- and long-term outcomes in the BA condition , but not in the CT condition This study followed treatment responders from a r and omized controlled trial of adults with major depression . Patients treated with medication but withdrawn onto pill-placebo had more relapse through 1 year of follow-up compared to patients who received prior behavioral activation , prior cognitive therapy , or continued medication . Prior psychotherapy was also superior to medication withdrawal in the prevention of recurrence across the 2nd year of follow-up . Specific comparisons indicated that patients previously exposed to cognitive therapy were significantly less likely to relapse following treatment termination than patients withdrawn from medication , and patients previously exposed to behavioral activation did almost as well relative to patients withdrawn from medication , although the difference was not significantly different . Differences between  behavioral activation and cognitive therapy  were small in magnitude and not significantly different across the full 2-year follow-up , and each therapy was at least as efficacious as the continuation of medication . These findings suggest that behavioral activation may be nearly as enduring as cognitive therapy and that both psychotherapies are less expensive and longer lasting alternatives to medication in the treatment of depression In a study design ed to maximize the effectiveness of treatment by allowing participants to select the target of treatment , 40 depressed older adults were r and omly assigned to a waiting-list control condition or to conditions in which the target of treatment was either chosen or assigned . All participants received self-management therapy and the choice was between changing behavior or changing cognition . It was found that individually administered self-management therapy was effective in treating depression  for older adults . There were no differences in outcome between versions of  self-management therapy  that targeted behavioral or cognitive change . Among those who completed treatment , there were no differences in outcome between those who received a choice and those who did not . Individuals who were given a choice of treatment options , however , were less likely to drop out of treatment prematurely OBJECTIVE Major depression is the most common psychiatric disorder among breast cancer patients and is associated with substantial impairment . Although some research has explored the utility of psychotherapy with breast cancer patients , only 2 small trials have investigated the potential benefits of behavior therapy among patients with well-diagnosed depression . METHOD In a primarily Caucasian , well-educated sample of women ( age = 55.4 years , SD = 11.9 ) diagnosed with breast cancer and major depression ( n = 80 ) , this study was a r and omized clinical trial testing the efficacy of 8 sessions of behavioral activation treatment for depression ( BATD ) compared to problem-solving therapy . Primary outcome measures assessed depression , environmental reward , anxiety , quality of life , social support , and medical outcomes . RESULTS Across both treatments , results revealed strong treatment integrity , excellent patient satisfaction with treatment protocol s , and low patient attrition ( 19 % ) . Intent-to-treat analyses suggested both treatments were efficacious , with both evidencing significant pre-post treatment gains across all outcome measures . Across both treatments , gains were associated with strong effect sizes , and based on response and remission criteria , a reliable change index , and numbers-needed-to-treat analyses , approximately ¾ of patients exhibited clinical ly significant improvement . No significant group differences were found at posttreatment . Treatment gains were maintained at 12-month follow-up , with some support for stronger maintenance of gains in the BATD group . CONCLUSIONS BATD and problem-solving interventions represent practical interventions that may improve psychological outcomes and quality of life among depressed breast cancer patients . Study limitations and future research directions are discussed Depression presents a significant public health burden for Latinos , the largest and fastest-growing minority group in the United States . The current study performed a r and omized controlled trial of Behavioral Activation ( BA ) for Latinos ( BAL , n=21 ) , with relatively minor modifications , compared to treatment as usual ( TAU  , n=22 ) in a community mental health clinic setting with a sample of depressed , Spanish-speaking Latinos .  TAU was a strong comparison condition , taking place at the same clinic , under the same guidelines and clinic protocol s , with similar levels of ongoing consultation , and using the same pool of therapists as BAL . Results indicated that BAL performed well with respect to treatment engagement and retention . Regarding acute treatment out 
    Output:
    
The results in this meta- analysis support and strengthen the evidence base indicating  Behavioural Activation  is an effective treatment for depression .