Why this one and not something cleverer

Pooled trials of behavioural activation, which is the approach this lesson borrows from. This is why activity scheduling is the one thing taught here rather than something more elaborate: it has the strongest self help evidence of anything in this area.

A pooled analysis of trials of behavioural activation, which is the approach this lesson borrows from. It is the evidence base for choosing activity scheduling as the one thing to teach here rather than something more elaborate.

Ekers D, Webster L, Van Straten A, Cuijpers P, Richards D, Gilbody S (2014). Behavioural activation for depression: an update of meta-analysis of effectiveness and sub group analysis. PLoS ONE, 9(6), e100100 doi

Behavioural activation delivered by less highly trained staff worked about as well as full cognitive behavioural therapy and cost less. The honest limit is that not inferior is not the same as better, and the margin was narrow.

Behavioural activation delivered by less highly trained staff was not inferior to full cognitive behavioural therapy, and cost less. The honest limit is that not inferior is not the same as better, and the margin for calling something non-inferior is a judgement the trialists made in advance.

Richards DA, Ekers D, McMillan D, Taylor RS, Byford S, and others (2016). Cost and outcome of behavioural activation versus cognitive behavioural therapy for depression (COBRA): a randomised, controlled, non-inferiority trial. The Lancet, 388(10047), 871 to 880 doi