Behavioural activation on haemodialysis (BEACH)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An integrated Behavioural Activation intervention to improve depression amongst people with kidney failure undergoing haemodialysis: A feasibility study.
IRAS ID
361821
Contact name
Claire Carswell
Contact email
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
48539, ISRCTN Reference number (under review)
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
People who develop kidney failure and cannot access transplantation typically rely on haemodialysis, an invasive, lengthy and regular treatment, during which they are restricted to a bed or chair, which can also lead to side effects - this process is thought to contribute to high rates of depression and anxiety in this patient population.
Depression is associated with decreased quality of life and increased morbidity, and can impact patient adherence to treatment regimens, which increases risk of hospitalisation, morbidity and death.
We want to explore whether the Behavioural activation (BA) psychological therapy can benefit this patient population: BA is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for managing depression in adults with chronic physical health problems, and can be delivered outside of mental health services and through trained non-specialists. However, the feasibility of integrated BA in haemodialysis settings is unknown. Therefore, this project is a feasibility study consisting of a feasibility cluster randomised controlled trial (cRCT), a feasibility economic evaluation, and a process evaluation. The cRCT will randomise patients to usual care or the intervention through clusters based on their dialysis shift patterns. The outputs of this project will inform a future trial on the efficacy of BA in this patient population.
REC name
London - Dulwich Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/LO/0920
Date of REC Opinion
12 Feb 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion