NCT07395700

Validation of the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale in Individuals With Substance Use Disorders

Psychometric Validation of the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale (BADS) in a Clinical Sample of Individuals With Substance Use Disorders

• Status: Completed
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 289 (actual)
• Sponsor: Lauro Gutiérrez Castro · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 68 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This observational study evaluates the psychometric properties of the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale (BADS) in individuals with substance use disorders. The study examines the scale's internal structure, reliability, and validity using data from 289 participants who completed the BADS. External and incremental validity analyses were conducted in a subsample of 127 participants for whom additional clinical measures were available, including assessments of symptom severity, anxiety, impulsivity, and anger expression. This approach reflects the availability of complete data for each analytic component and allows for a comprehensive evaluation of the BADS in a clinical population.

Detailed description

This study employs a cross-sectional observational design to evaluate the psychometric performance of the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale (BADS) in individuals with substance use disorders. The validation process consisted of two complementary analytic components based on data availability. First, analyses of internal structure, reliability, and item-level performance were conducted using data from 289 participants who completed the BADS. These analyses included advanced psychometric methods to evaluate the dimensional structure and measurement properties of the scale. Second, external and incremental validity analyses were conducted in a subsample of 127 participants for whom complete data were available on additional validated self-report measures assessing clinically relevant constructs, including symptom severity, anxiety, impulsivity, and anger expression. This subsample approach reflects the naturalistic data collection process in clinical settings and allowed for the examination of the BADS' relationships with external criteria without imputing missing data. Together, these analyses provide a comprehensive evaluation of the BADS, integrating evidence from internal psychometric validation and external criterion-related validity in a clinical population with substance use disorders.

Conditions

• Substance Use Disorders
• Mental Health Disorders
• Substance-related Disorders
• Depression Scale Score
• Validation Study

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-03-18
• Primary completion: 2025-11-30
• Completion: 2025-12-22
• First posted: 2026-02-09
• Last updated: 2026-02-09

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Mexico