Behavioral Activation Strategies Flashcards
7 cards from real CBT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Behavioral Activation Strategies flashcards as text
Which of the following best describes the BA rationale for increasing routine and structure?
Answer: Predictable daily routines increase exposure to positive reinforcement and reduce decision fatigue
Establishing regular routines creates reliable opportunities for positive reinforcement and reduces the effortful decision-making that drains depressed clients.
A BA therapist identifies that a client's depression worsens after long periods alone. This assessment guides the therapist to prioritize:
Answer: Scheduling social or meaningful interpersonal activities
Functional analysis linking solitude to low mood indicates that increasing social contact or interpersonally rewarding activities is the highest-leverage intervention.
How does behavioral activation handle a client's low motivation to start assigned activities?
Answer: Clients are encouraged to act despite low motivation, as action itself generates motivation
BA operates on the principle that motivation follows action; waiting for motivation perpetuates the depressive cycle.
In the BA model, what is the significance of identifying 'life areas' when building an activity hierarchy?
Answer: Organizing activities by domain (work, relationships, health) ensures well-rounded engagement and prevents neglect of important reinforcers
Mapping activities across life domains ensures that the activation plan addresses all potential sources of reinforcement and reflects the client's values.
Which of the following is considered a potential barrier to behavioral activation that therapists must proactively address?
Answer: Practical obstacles such as lack of transportation, finances, or childcare that prevent activity completion
Environmental and practical barriers can prevent even well-motivated clients from completing scheduled activities, requiring collaborative problem-solving.
What does research comparing BA to full CBT (including cognitive restructuring) primarily show regarding outcomes for depression?
Answer: BA produces outcomes comparable to full CBT, with some studies favoring BA for severe depression
The Dimidjian et al. (2006) trial and subsequent research found BA equivalent to full CBT and, for severely depressed clients, BA sometimes outperformed CBT.
When terminating BA treatment, which skill is MOST important to reinforce for relapse prevention?
Answer: Self-monitoring and self-scheduling of activating behaviors during future low-mood periods
Relapse prevention in BA centers on clients internalizing the skill of recognizing withdrawal patterns and self-scheduling activating behaviors without therapist prompting.