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Category: Project

Description: This proposed Science of Behavior Change (SOBC) study will evaluate the clinical and cost effectiveness and implementation potential of an integrated intervention program to improve weight and mood for obese adults with comorbid depression. The proposed intervention uniquely adapts and integrates the technology-mediated Group Lifestyle Balance (GLB) program, which was derived from the Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle intervention, with the Program to Encourage Active and Rewarding Lives (PEARLS) for collaborative stepped depression care, which uses problem-solving therapy as first-line, intensified with stepwise increases in doses and number of medications as needed. Each program has proven effective in other populations, and both are nationally recognized in providing standard coach training and support for their original target populations. This study will be the first to test the effectiveness of combining the 2 programs to treat obese and depressed adults in primary care. In addition to the evaluation of the integrated intervention program, the study will seek to understand the mechanisms by which the intervention engages self-regulation domains such as regulation of cognition, emotion, and self-reflection for the purposes of behavior change to improve mood and weight.