Toward a Comprehensive Functional Analysis of Depressive Behavior: Five Environmental Factors and a Possible Sixth and Seventh

With recent advances in the behavioral treatment of depression and growing dissatisfaction with medical and cognitive interventions, a resurgence of interest in behavior analytic treatment of depression has occurred. Currently, several behavioral and cognitive behavioral models of depression exist. In reviewing these models, certain agreed upon environmental factors emerge. In this paper, we explore five factors related to a behavioral treatment of depression. Three of these factors view depressive behavior as a biproduct of person-behavior-environment interaction. These are (1) lack of response contingent reinforcement of behavior, (2) too much punishment of behavioral responses, and (3) loss of effective operant behavior. In addition, two models view depressive behavior as operant behavior as controlled by (4) positive reinforcement and/or (5) negative reinforcement. Two final factors to consider are (1) depressive behavior develops as a failure to develop or an over reliance on rule governed behavior and (2) environmental factors that precipitate depression may be viewed as establishing operations. Each of these factors will be explored as well as multiple combinations of these factors in the generation and continuation of depression.