Self-help book may help prevent depression

January 3, 2022

The book Feeling Good details cognitive-behavioural strategies for reducing depressive symptoms. Written at a high-school reading level, the book guides readers to challenge unrealistic negative thinking and to increase their positive and productive activities. A study showed the book effectively prevented the development of depressive episodes for youth at two-year follow-up. In fact, youth who had been randomly assigned to read the book had eight times lower odds for developing depression compared with controls. For more information see Vol. 14, No. 1 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.