Targeted Intervention for Adolescents Following Child Maltreatment: Examining Neural and Behavioral Mechanisms Within the Positive Valence System

National data indicate over 650,000 children and adolescents are exposed to physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or physical or emotional neglect each year. Moreover, youth with a history of childhood maltreatment (CM) are at least twice as likely to develop depression and are at substantial risk for nonresponse to current best practice depression interventions (i.e., cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressants) compared to non-maltreated peers. Research suggests that CM increases risk for depression through disruptions in the positive valence system, such as reward processing, and Behavioral Activation (BA) may be an alternative depression intervention that targets these deficits. This proposal will examine whether BA intervention reduces depression and anhedonia in a sample of depressed adolescents, aged 13-18, with variable histories of CM exposure (BA Group). A total of 30 depressed adolescents will be recruited to undergo a 12-week course of BA. All participants will undergo clinical assessment to measure depression symptoms and anhedonia at baseline (Week 0) and post- (Week 12) treatment.