ERIC Number: EJ1261247
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Aug
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1362-3613
EISSN: N/A
The Feasibility of Low-Intensity Psychological Therapy for Depression Co-Occurring with Autism in Adults: The Autism Depression Trial (ADEPT) -- A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial
Russell, Ailsa; Gaunt, Daisy M.; Cooper, Kate; Barton, Stephen; Horwood, Jeremy; Kessler, David; Metcalfe, Chris; Ensum, Ian; Ingham, Barry; Parr, Jeremy R.; Rai, Dheeraj; Wiles, Nicola
Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, v24 n6 p1360-1372 Aug 2020
Low-intensity cognitive behaviour therapy including behavioural activation is an evidence-based treatment for depression, a condition frequently co-occurring with autism. The feasibility of adapting low-intensity cognitive behaviour therapy for depression to meet the needs of autistic adults via a randomised controlled trial was investigated. The adapted intervention (guided self-help) comprised materials for nine individual sessions with a low-intensity psychological therapist. Autistic adults (n = 70) with depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score ?10) recruited from National Health Service adult autism services and research cohorts were randomly allocated to guided self-help or treatment as usual. Outcomes at 10-, 16- and 24-weeks post-randomisation were blind to treatment group. Rates of retention in the study differed by treatment group with more participants attending follow-up in the guided self-help group than treatment as usual. The adapted intervention was well-received, 86% (n = 30/35) of participants attended the pre-defined 'dose' of five sessions of treatment and 71% (25/35) attended all treatment sessions. The findings of this pilot randomised controlled trial indicate that low-intensity cognitive behaviour therapy informed by behavioural activation can be successfully adapted to meet the needs of autistic people. Evaluation of the effectiveness of this intervention in a full scale randomised controlled trial is now warranted.
Descriptors: Depression (Psychology), Adults, Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Behavior Modification, Cognitive Restructuring, Randomized Controlled Trials, Self Help Programs, Feasibility Studies, Intervention, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Beck Depression Inventory; Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A