The effect of contingent reinforcement on target variables in outpatient psychotherapy for depression: A successful and unsuccessful case using functional analytic psychotherapy.

Jonathan W. Kanter, Sara J. Landes, Andrew M. Busch, Laura C. Rusch, Keri R. Brown, David E. Baruch & Gareth Holman. (2006) The effect of contingent reinforcement on target variables in outpatient psychotherapy for depression: A successful and unsuccessful case using functional analytic psychotherapy. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 39, 463-467.

The current study investigated a behavior-analytic treatment, functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP), for outpatient depression utilizing two single-subject A/A+B designs. The baseline condition was cognitive behavioral therapy. Results demonstrated treatment success in 1 client after the addition of FAP and treatment failure in the 2nd. This study highlights the challenges in measuring treatment progress and outcome idiographically in this population.

DESCRIPTORS: depression, outpatient treatment, functional analytic psychotherapy, reinforcement