Background
ABI, aneurysm, brain abnormalities, traumatic brain injury, stroke, hypoxia, developmental disability, brain injury, viral infections, TBI, mood disorder, anoxia, depression, low mood
BRAIN TUMOUR, ANEURYSM, STROKE, HYPOXIA, VIRAL INFECTION, ENCEPHALITIS, CONGENITAL DISORDER, ANOXIA
An acquired brain injury (ABI) can result from a blow to the head (traumatic brain injury; TBI), a blockage to the brain’s blood supply (stroke, aneurysm), lack of oxygen to the brain (anoxia, hypoxia), viral infections (encephalitis), or damage from a resected brain tumour. This definition excludes brain abnormalities arising from a congenital disorder, developmental disability, or progressive neurological conditions [ABI markedly increases risk of a mood disorder that can begin weeks, months, or even years post-injury [A promising alternative intervention is behavioural activation (BA). BA theory is based on the premise that people with low mood tend to engage in fewer positively reinforcing activities (e.g., because of low motivation, inability to anticipate positive outcomes, or anxious avoidance). Although this may feel protective of mood, the counter-productive consequence of this can reduce positive reinforcement, and in turn further reduce mood, establishing a negative cycle of worsening depression [The current study builds on the promising BA research in neurological populations by being the first to evaluate Although Despite the inclusion of goal management techniques, it is still possible that there are individuals with greater cognitive problems from ABI that struggle to remember and implement intentions in everyday life, potentially undermining BA efficacy. For example, in “traditional” BA sessions, therapists work with clients to identify potentially positive activities that the client can independently complete between sessions. The outcomes and their effect on mood are then discussed at subsequent sessions, hopefully reinforcing the positive activity engagement—mood link. The rationale is that experience completing positively reinforcing activities will produce better maintained and generalised gains after therapy ends, relative to BA psychoeducation alone. If an individual struggles with these processes even with the incorporation of cognitive strategies to support activity planning, facilitating potentially reinforcing activities While activity-based peer support groups are already offered by, e.g., ABI charities, they have rarely, if ever, been formally compared to another or to no intervention [Relative to “traditional” BA groups, activity-based peer support groups may be viewed as more acceptable by ABI survivors, given their greater focus on socialisation. However, only “traditional” BA incorporates formal psychoeducation on the importance of the activity–mood relationship and a range of self-management techniques to increase independence in daily activities. The increased focus on developing independence in scheduling and maintaining positive activities may encourage greater long-term mood improvements relative to peer support groups where positive reinforcement is predominantly within session.Taken together, here we compared a “Traditional” BA group (Activity Planning group, “AP”) to an “Experiential” BA group (Activity Engagement group, “AE”) in which participants engaged in socialisation, quizzes, and crafts and in which a positive social atmosphere was encouraged.