Depression Worksheets
Free assessments, scored online: the PHQ-9 and CES-D.
28 worksheets available. Free to browse, read, and print.
30-Day Habit-Based Behavioral Activation
A daily structure for building activity through habit, not willpower
Activity Scheduling for Mood Improvement
How structured daily activities counteract the withdrawal cycle of depression
Behavioral Activation
Planning meaningful activities to break the depression cycle
Bipolar Disorder: Navigating Emotional Extremes
Recognizing the highs and lows, debunking myths, and finding effective treatment
Breaking the Depression Cycle
A step-by-step guide to behavioral and mindfulness-based strategies for depression
Breaking the Depression Cycle
Mapping the Feedback Loop Between Thoughts, Feelings, and Behavior
Challenging Negative Thoughts: Evaluating Depressive Thinking
Six Questions for Testing the Accuracy of Negative Automatic Thoughts
Character Strengths Activation Planner
A structured weekly plan for intentionally deploying personal strengths to combat low mood
Comprehensive Mental Status Evaluation
A structured clinical documentation tool for assessing current psychiatric presentation
Coping Strategy Tracker
Rate your distress before and after each skill on a 0 to 100 scale, and find the ones you can count on
How to Support a Loved One Living with Depression
Practical, evidence-informed guidance for family members, partners, and friends
Mood-Boosting Activity Planner
Identifying and scheduling meaningful activities to improve well-being
Morning Activation Blueprint: Evidence-Based Strategies for Better Wake-Ups
A step-by-step guide to overcoming morning fatigue and starting your day with energy
My Personal Bipolar Episode Indicators
Mapping Your Warning Signs Across Key Domains
Personal Episode Warning Patterns
Identifying Your Unique Relapse Signatures for Bipolar Disorder
Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Screening
An adapted screening for the perinatal period: depression, anxiety, and intrusive thoughts
Recognizing and Responding to Depression in Children
Essential Information for Parents and Caregivers
Recognizing Suicide Risk: Warning Signs and Risk Factors
A clinical reference for identifying individuals who may be at risk for suicide
Seven-Day Mood Monitoring Guide
How to use structured mood tracking to identify patterns and support treatment
Supporting a Child Through Depression
Evidence-based strategies for caregivers
Understanding Anorexia Nervosa
Recognizing symptoms, understanding causes, and finding effective treatment for this serious eating disorder
Understanding Depression: Causes, Symptoms, and Evidence-Based Treatment
Essential facts about major depressive disorder
Understanding Paternal and Partner Postpartum Depression
Why about 1 in 10 fathers and non-birthing partners become depressed after a birth, how it looks different, and what helps
Understanding Perinatal Mood Disorders
Recognizing and Treating Postpartum Depression
Understanding Postpartum Psychosis
A rare psychiatric emergency: warning signs, risk factors, and exactly what to do
Understanding the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)
What the 10-item perinatal screen measures, how it is scored, and what the cutoffs actually mean
Weekly Mood and Sleep Tracker
Daily Monitoring for Bipolar Disorder Management
Weekly Sleep and Daytime Functioning Log
Track sleep patterns, daytime habits, and mood to identify factors affecting rest
Free Depression treatment manuals
Complete open-access protocols from sources like SAMHSA, the VA, WHO, and RAND that pair with the worksheets above. Each one links to the official source and states its license, free and legal to use.
ACT for Depression (ACT-D) Therapist Manual
A complete 12-session ACT protocol for treating depression, written by Robyn Walser and colleagues for the VA's national therapist training program. Each session includes therapist scripts, sample dialogue, metaphors, mindfulness exercises, and homework, moving from creative hopelessness and control-as-the-problem through acceptance, defusion, values, and committed action.
CBT for Depression Therapist Manual
The VA's full protocol for delivering cognitive behavioral therapy to depressed veterans and service members, written by Amy Wenzel, Gregory Brown, and Bradley Karlin. It walks through CBT theory, case conceptualization, session structure, behavioral and cognitive strategies, and relapse prevention, with session-by-session guidance and reproducible clinical forms.
Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) Therapist Guide
A complete therapist guide to Interpersonal Psychotherapy for depression, adapted for veterans as part of the VA's national evidence-based psychotherapy rollout. It walks through the full 16-session protocol across the four IPT problem areas (grief, role disputes, role transitions, interpersonal deficits) and devotes nearly half its pages to six extended case vignettes with session dialogue.
TIP 42: Co-Occurring Disorders
SAMHSA's flagship guideline for treating clients who have both a substance use disorder and a mental health condition. The 2020 update walks through screening, assessment, and integrated treatment planning for depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, ADHD, and psychosis alongside addiction.
TIP 48: Depression in Early Recovery
A SAMHSA protocol that shows substance use counselors how to recognize and manage depressive symptoms in clients during the first months of recovery. It covers screening, counseling strategies, and when to refer out, with a separate implementation guide for administrators and a full literature review.
Muñoz Individual CBT for Depression Manual
A complete individual CBT protocol for adult depression by Ricardo Muñoz and Jeanne Miranda, developed at the San Francisco General Hospital Depression Clinic and published free by RAND. The sessions are organized around the classic CBT triad for mood: how thoughts shape mood, how activities shape mood, and how people (relationships) shape mood, with session outlines, in-session exercises, and homework throughout.
More Depression manuals: Problem Management Plus (PM+), mhGAP Intervention Guide, Group IPT for Depression, Muñoz Group CBT for Depression Manual, BRIGHT Group CBT Leader's Manual, Adolescent Coping With Depression Course (CWD-A), Thinking Healthy (WHO Perinatal CBT).