Validation of the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale in Individuals With Substance Use Disorders (BADS-SUD)

February 6, 2026 updated by: Lauro Gutiérrez Castro

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

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.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

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.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

289

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Mexico
    • Jalisco
      • Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico, 45920
        • Comunidad Terapéutica Under The Tree

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of adults receiving residential treatment for substance use disorders in a therapeutic community setting. Participants represent a clinically relevant population characterized by difficulties in mood regulation, behavioral activation, emotional dysregulation, and related psychological symptoms commonly associated with substance use disorders.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults aged 18 years or older.
  • Currently receiving treatment or undergoing clinical evaluation for substance use disorders in a therapeutic or clinical setting.
  • Ability to read and understand Spanish.
  • Ability to provide informed consent.
  • Completion of the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale and at least one additional study questionnaire.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Severe cognitive impairment or acute psychiatric symptoms that prevent accurate self-reporting.
  • Incomplete or missing data on key study measures.
  • Current intoxication or acute withdrawal symptoms at the time of assessment that interfere with completing questionnaires.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Individuals With Substance Use Disorders
Single clinical group composed of adults receiving treatment for substance use disorders who completed the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale (BADS) and additional self-report measures as part of a cross-sectional observational study.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Psychometric Validity of the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale (BADS)
Time Frame: Baseline, pre-intervention (single cross-sectional assessment at study enrollment)
Psychometric properties of the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale (BADS), including internal structure (confirmatory factor analysis), internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha / omega), and construct validity (convergent and discriminant validity), assessed using self-report data collected at a single time point in individuals with substance use disorders. Subscale scores will also be examined, with higher scores reflecting greater expression of the respective behavioral domains.
Baseline, pre-intervention (single cross-sectional assessment at study enrollment)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Convergent and Discriminant Validity of the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale With the Borderline Symptom List-23
Time Frame: Baseline, pre-intervention (single cross-sectional assessment conducted at study enrollment)
Convergent and discriminant validity of the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale will be examined through its association with scores on the Borderline Symptom List-23, a self-report measure of borderline symptom severity and behavioral dysregulation. The Borderline Symptom List-23 provides a mean total score ranging from 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater severity of borderline symptomatology. Associations will be analyzed using continuous scores to evaluate the extent to which behavioral activation and avoidance patterns measured by the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale relate to clinical severity and emotional dysregulation in individuals with substance use disorders. The Borderline Symptom List-23 is a 23-item self-report scale scored on a 5-point Likert-type format (0 to 4), producing a mean total score ranging from 0 to 4. Higher scores indicate greater severity of borderline symptomatology and emotional dysregulation.
Baseline, pre-intervention (single cross-sectional assessment conducted at study enrollment)
Convergent Validity of the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale With the Environmental Reward Observation Scale
Time Frame: Baseline, pre-intervention (single cross-sectional assessment at study enrollment)
Convergent validity of the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale will be evaluated through its association with the Environmental Reward Observation Scale, a self-report measure assessing perceived availability and frequency of environmental positive reinforcement. The Environmental Reward Observation Scale consists of 10 items scored on a Likert-type scale, with higher total scores reflecting greater perceived environmental reinforcement. Correlations between Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale scores and Environmental Reward Observation Scale scores will be analyzed as continuous variables to examine the theoretical correspondence between behavioral activation processes and perceived environmental reinforcement in a residential substance use treatment context. The Environmental Reward Observation Scale consists of 10 items scored on a 4-point Likert-type scale, yielding total scores ranging from 10 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater perceived availability of en
Baseline, pre-intervention (single cross-sectional assessment at study enrollment)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Lauro Gutiérrez Castro

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Lauro Gutiérrez Castro, Under The Tree Therapeutic Community

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

March 18, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

November 30, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

December 22, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 7, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 6, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

February 9, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 9, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 6, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • BADS-SUD-VALID-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Substance Use Disorders

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Bulgaria

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe