LAUSR

Scalable, transdiagnostic interventions are needed to meet the needs of a growing population of older adults experiencing multimorbidity and functional decline. Behavioral activation (BA) is a pragmatic, empirically-supported treatment for depression that focuses on increasing engagement in values-aligned activities. We propose BA is an ideal transdiagnostic intervention approach for older adults because it 1) specifically targets activity restriction, a shared characteristic of common conditions of aging; and 2) has strong potential for scalability through delivery by a broad range of clinician and non-clinician interventionists and via telehealth. We describe the history of BA and review recent literature demonstrating impacts beyond depression including on cognition, social isolation, and disability. We also describe the feasibility for delivering BA across interventionists, settings, and modalities. Our approach advances scholarship by proposing BA as a scalable, transdiagnostic behavioral intervention to address functional decline in older adults with common geriatric conditions.