Behavioural Activation (BA) is a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended talking-therapy that aims to lift the mood of people with depression by increasing their engagement with pleasurable and meaningful activities. Behavioural Activation is based on the principle that scheduling and completing purposeful and rewarding activities can lift our mood, energise us, and stimulate our interest and pleasure in day-to-day life. The approach is easy to learn and works across different age ranges, depression severity levels, and cultures.
Behavioural Activation is typically delivered in regular sessions with a trained professional, who may be a psychologist, a nurse or a doctor, a pastoral member of staff in a school, a social worker or a charity worker. Behavioural Activation can be delivered face-to-face, by telephone, or online. Written materials and workbooks are often used to guide the person through the intervention.