Early treatment expectancy and credibility as predictors of outcome, dropout and early response in Behavioral Activation treatment for depression

Patients’ beliefs about treatment outcomes and the credibility of treatment, commonly referred to as expectancy and credibility, have been associated with treatment outcomes, but are less frequently examined in relation to dropout and early response. The present study examined expectancy and credibility, measured after one session, in relation to (a) treatment outcomes, including depressive and anxiety symptoms, quality of life, remission, and response rate, (b) dropout, and (c) early response in behavioral activation (BA) for depression. Expectancy predicted post-treatment outcomes across several measures, although effect sizes were small to moderate. In contrast, credibility showed less consistent associations and did not contribute unique predictive value when controlling for expectancy. Neither expectancy nor credibility predicted early response or dropout. These findings suggest that expectancy may be a meaningful contributor to treatment outcomes, whereas credibility may exert its influence indirectly through its association with expectancy. The lack of association with early response, contrasted with associations with post-treatment outcomes, suggests that expectancy may not produce immediate symptom change but instead operates through processes that unfold over time. Taken together, these results highlight the importance of assessing expectancy while sustaining engagement throughout treatment.

Author dc:creator

• Jósúa Gabríel Davíðsson 2001-

Contributors dc:contributor

• Háskóli Íslands

• Hagnýt sálfræði
• Þunglyndi
• Atferlismeðferð

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1946/53292

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:skemman.is:1946/53292