Low mood is the most commonly diagnosed mental health condition affecting adolescents; however, it remains complex to treat due to multi-systemic risk and maintaining factors. Behavioural Activation (BA) is a brief therapy which demonstrates promising treatment outcomes, although limited qualitative accounts exist of how adolescents experience this. This is one of the first studies undertaken in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to explore the perspectives of adolescent’s with low mood who have received BA therapy. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted from one-to-one interviews with nine adolescents who received BA, generating an idiographic account of their experiences. Three superordinate themes emerged: how the format of BA can promote the integration of coping skills into one’s life; how interpersonal connections and therapeutic relationships may improve intervention outcomes; and how BA principles could be internalised as part of a young person’s day-to-day life. Participants valued the structure and flexibility of the manualised approach, forming an alliance with the therapist, and enhancing interpersonal relationships. This study details how BA can enhance resiliency skills for adolescents experiencing low mood and illustrates some of the change process at inter and intrapersonal levels, which should guide further youth-led research.

情绪低落是影响青少年的最常见的心理健康状况；然而，由于多系统风险和维持因素，它的治疗仍然很复杂。行为激活 (BA) 是一种简短的疗法，它展示了有希望的治疗结果，尽管关于青少年如何体验这一点的定性描述有限。这是儿童和青少年心理健康服务 (CAMHS) 开展的首批研究之一，旨在探索接受 BA 治疗的情绪低落青少年的观点。解释性现象学分析是通过对九名获得 BA 的青少年的一对一访谈进行的，生成了他们经历的具体描述。出现了三个上级主题：BA的形式如何促进应对技巧融入生活；人际关系和治疗关系如何改善干预结果；以及如何将 BA 原则内化为年轻人日常生活的一部分。参与者重视手动方法的结构和灵活性，与治疗师结成联盟，并加强人际关系。本研究详细介绍了 BA 如何提高情绪低落的青少年的应变能力，并说明了人际和内在层面的一些变化过程，这将指导进一步的以青年为主导的研究。和增进人际关系。本研究详细介绍了 BA 如何提高情绪低落的青少年的应变能力，并说明了人际和内在层面的一些变化过程，这将指导进一步的以青年为主导的研究。和增进人际关系。本研究详细介绍了 BA 如何提高情绪低落的青少年的应变能力，并说明了人际和内在层面的一些变化过程，这将指导进一步的以青年为主导的研究。