Translating the theoretical into practical: a logical framework of functional analytic psychotherapy interactions for research, training, and clinical purposes.

Functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP) provides a behavioral analysis of the psychotherapy relationship that directly applies basic research findings to outpatient psychotherapy settings. Specifically, FAP suggests that a therapist's in vivo (i.e., in-session) contingent responding to targeted client behaviors, particularly positive reinforcement of a client's effective behavior, should be a powerful mechanism of change. However, much of the previous literature on FAP has been theoretical, broadly defining FAP techniques rather than explicating them with the precision necessary for replication and training. In this article, the authors explicate a logical framework for turn-by-turn interactions between the client and therapist that may guide research, training, and dissemination of FAP. This molecular behavioral description of the events of the proposed logical interaction lends itself to microprocess research methodology, and a discussion of potential hypotheses to explore follows. Prescriptive, direct guidance for the application of FAP for training and dissemination purposes is given.

A micro-process analysis of Functional Analytic Psychotherapy's mechanism of change.

This study sought to clarify the micro-process of Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) by using the Functional Analytic Psychotherapy Rating Scale (FAPRS) to code every client and therapist turn of speech over the course of successful treatment of an individual meeting diagnostic criteria for depression and histrionic personality disorder. Treatment consisted of cognitive behavioral therapy alone followed by the addition of FAP techniques in a unique A / A+B design. In-session client behavior improved following the shift to FAP techniques, and micro-process data suggested that client behavior was effectively shaped by in-vivo FAP procedures. These results support FAP's purported mechanisms of change and highlight the advantages of utilizing molecular coding systems to explore these mechanisms.

Depression stigma in a predominantly low income African American sample with elevated depressive symptoms.

It is widely recognized that stigmatization of depression leads individuals with depression to avoid treatment and discontinue treatment prematurely. However, this research has been conducted with predominantly White samples and there is limited research on stigma of depression and how it relates to previous treatment seeking among African Americans. The current study examined stigma of depression and related constructs in a predominantly low income African American sample with elevated depressive symptoms. Specifically, general self-stigma, secrecy, public stigma, treatment stigma, and stigmatizing experiences, as well as depression severity, and whether these factors predicted previous treatment seeking for depression were explored. Previous treatment seeking significantly predicted decreased public stigma and increased self-stigma. Implications and future directions are discussed.

The nature of clinical depression: symptoms, syndromes, and behavior analysis.

In this article we discuss the traditional behavioral models of depression and some of the challenges analyzing a phenomenon with such complex and varied features. We present the traditional model and suggest that it does not capture the complexity of the phenomenon, nor do syndromal models of depression that dominate the mainstream conceptualization of depression. Instead, we emphasize ideographic analysis and present depression as a maladaptive dysregulation of an ultimately adaptive elicited emotional response. We emphasize environmental factors, specifically aversive control and private verbal events, in terms of relational frame theory, that may transform an adaptive response into a maladaptive disorder. We consider the role of negative thought processes and rumination, common and debilitating aspects of depression that have traditionally been neglected by behavior analysts.