Pilot of the Brief Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression in Latinos With Limited English Proficiency: Preliminary Evaluation of Efficacy and Acceptability

• A behavioral activation treatment (BATD) was evaluated in depressed Spanish-speaking Latinos.
• Over BATD course, depression decreased and the proposed BATD mechanisms increased.
• Increases in BATD proposed mechanisms were concurrent with decreases in depression.
• Sustained clinical gains were observed through the 1-month follow-up.
• Results of in-depth interview suggested high levels of treatment acceptability.

Latinos with limited English proficiency (LEP) experience multiple barriers to accessing efficacious mental health treatments. Using a stage model of behavior therapy research, this Stage I investigation evaluated the Brief Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression (BATD), an intervention that may be well equipped to address existing treatment barriers.A sample of 10 Latinos with LEP and depressive symptomatology participated in a 10-session, direct (i.e., literal) Spanish-language translation of BATD, with no other cultural modifications. Participants were assessed at each session for depressive symptomatology and for the proposed BATD mechanisms: activity engagement and environmental reward. One month after treatment, participants were reassessed and interviewed to elicit feedback about BATD.Hierarchical linear model analyses were used to measure BATD outcomes. Results showed depressive symptomatology decreased (p < .001), while both activation (p = .04) and environmental reward (p = .02) increased over the course of BATD. Increases in activation corresponded concurrently with decreases in depression (p = .01), while environmental reward preceded decreases in depressive symptomatology (all p’s ≤ .04). Follow-up analyses revealed sustained clinical gains in depression and activation, and an increase in environmental reward at follow-up.Participant interviews conducted 1 month after treatment conclusion indicated that BATD is an acceptable treatment for our sample of interest. Despite the limitations inherent in a study restricted to a sample of 10, preliminary outcomes of this Stage I research suggest that members of this otherwise underserved group showed improvements in depressive symptomatology and are willing to participate in and adhere to BATD. The study’s positive outcomes suggest that a Stage II randomized clinical trial is a logical next step.