Depression

Depression is considered to be a disorder of mood.  Individuals who are depressed, describe low mood that has persisted for longer than two weeks.  In mild forms of depression, individuals may not feel bad all day but still describe a dismal outlook and a sense of gloom. Their mood may lift with a positive experience, but fall again with even a minor disappointment.  In severe depression, a low mood will persist throughout the day, failing to lift even when pleasant things occur.  The low mood may fluctuate during the day such that it may be worse in the morning and relatively better in the afternoon. This is called ‘diurnal variation,’ which often accompanies a more severe type of depression.

Coping with Depression: This workbook is designed to provide you with some information about depression and suggested strategies for how you can manage your mood. It is organised into modules that are designed to be worked through in sequence. Although it is not necessary that you complete one module before going on to the next, this is recommended. Each module includes information, worksheets, and suggested exercises or activities.

Module 1: Overview of Depression

This module looks at the symptoms of depression, what causes depression, and provides information about psychotherapy for depression.

Module 2: Behavioural Strategies for Managing Depression

This module describes how to increase activity levels, particularly fun activities

Module 3: The Thinking-Feeling Connection

This module describes automatic thoughts and explores how thoughts influence feelings.

Module 4: The ABC Analysis

This module explores how you can use a thought diary to monitor the unhelpful thoughts that can lead to how you feel about a particular situation.

Module 5: Unhelpful Thinking Styles

This module describes a number of common unhelpful thinking styles that can lead to negative emotions.

Module 6: Detective Work and Disputation

Module 6 explores how you can examine and challenge unhelpful thoughts by expanding the thought diary described in Module 4.

Module 7: The End Result

This module describes how you can summarise how you have challenged unhelpful thoughts by producing a balanced thought.

Module 8: Core Beliefs

Core beliefs are often at the root of unhelpful thoughts that are particularly difficult to change. This module looks at core beliefs and how to change them.

Module 9: Self Management

This final module describes how to maintain gains and continue the progress that has been made throughout the previous modules.

Download the entire workbook

Click the link above to download all modules in this workbook at once, as a zip file.

Symptoms of Depression

Behavioural Activation

My Behavioural Antidepressants

Weekly Activity Schedule

Weekly Goals Record

Making the Connection (between thoughts and feelings)

Thought Diary 1 (ABC worksheet, excludes unhelpful thinking styles)

Thought Diary 2 (ABCD worksheet, includes unhelpful thinking styles)

Thought Diary 3  (Complete ABCDE: balanced thought)

Thought Diary (Tri-fold) This information sheet provides a brief overview of unhelpful thinking styles. For information sheets providing details on individual unhelpful thinking styles, refer to the Unhelpful Thinking Styles section in resources for clinicians.

Core Beliefs Worksheet

Healthy Me

Goal Setting (End of Therapy)

Download all worksheets (zip file)

We have a range of other resources which you may find helpful. 
  • Depression can cause disturbances to your sleep. Restoring a regular sleep routine can play an important role in managing depression. If you have difficulties with sleep, you might find our sleep resources helpful.
  • People experiencing depression tend to think in very self-critical ways. Our resources for improving self-compassion and improving self-esteem can help to address this.  
  • Many people experiencing depression also have difficulties with anxiety. If this is the case for you, you may find our resources for managing anxiety helpful

Last Updated: 28/10/2019

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Overview Looking After Yourself Looking After Others For Clinicians