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Symposia

Autism Spectrum and Developmental Disorders

Community-partnered research to improve mental health assessment and treatment for autistic individuals

3 - (SYM 128) Adaptation of Group Behavioral Activation Treatment: A Multi-level Collaboration with Autistic Adults

Sunday, November 17, 2024
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM EST
Location: Grand Ballroom I/J, Level 5, Downtown Marriott
Abstract Body


There are high rates of co-occurring mood and anxiety disorders in autistic adults. With many community providers feeling ill-equipped to treat autistic people (Maddox et al., 2016), there is a clear need for programs designed to support the mental health of autistic adults. Group Behavioral Activation Treatment (GBAT; Chu et al., 2009) is a 10-week, transdiagnostic group originally designed to treat youth with anxiety, depression, or anger. To inform adaptation of GBAT, we have taken an innovative community-based participatory approach of engaging autistic community members throughout each stage of development to ensure that the specific needs of the autistic community are being met and that materials are designed to be accessible to this population.  



We originally planned to include autistic perspectives on a consultative basis (i.e., via participant feedback and a “stakeholder advisory board”). Over time, however, autistic participation has evolved to a more collaborative involvement that meaningfully leverages each team member’s lived experience, knowledge and specific skillset to inform three major areas:   





  1. 1. Adaptations to the intervention materials: Electronic interactive materials have been collaboratively developed with team members who participated in the intervention in earlier study phases. Given their GBAT knowledge, they have provided valuable insight into specific adaptations to language, messaging, visuals, and interactive activities related to valued goals and anti-avoidant strategies in the context of autism. 








  1. 2. Development of video-based psychoeducation materials: Team members identified priority areas and contributed to script writing and storyboarding. The videos focus on:  








  1. a. Psychoeducation: three videos addressing the topics of (1) anxiety, (2) depression, and (3) the intersection of autism and mental health;  








  1. b. GBAT video shorts: Seven animated videos centered on concepts and strategies from GBAT to reinforce learning and facilitate generalization.  








  1. 3. Informing group design: participant feedback from several iterations of the GBAT group has been collected and integrated into the group. This has included specific suggestions regarding format and structure of the group, as well as feedback on the materials.  






The groups and data collection are ongoing. Discussion will center around decision-points and insights gained from taking a more iterative and collaborative process to this adaptation, rather than the more consultative approach originally planned.