You suspect you may be depressed. What should you do?

First, see your physician. Your physician can help you to diagnose true depression and make recommendations for treatment.

Next, educate yourself about depression. On this page we provide links to several free and downloadable self-help guides to working with depression. These guides are based on research evidence. They are not treatment in themselves, however, and should not be used as a substitute for professional care.

Each of the manuals was created under the auspices of the Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction (CARMHA) or its predecessor MHECCU. Where indicated, clicking will take you to the CARMHA website's downloadable versions.

Look below for manuals in English, French, Punjabi, and Chinese, and a version specially adapted for teens.

All manuals are written in Adobe Acrobat pdf format. If you need to download Adobe Acrobat, click here.

Note to professionals: CARMHA has provided permission to download and photocopy all manuals on this page for use in your work.

The Antidepressant Skills Workbook

Authors: Dan Bilsker & Randy Paterson

This is the latest edition of the Self Care Depression Program. Click here to download your own copy from CARMHA's site.

Unfortunately, this version of the manual is so far only available in English.

The Self Care Depression Program

Authors: Randy Paterson & Dan Bilsker

The original Self Care Depression Program has been translated into several languages. Download your copy in the language of your choice by clicking below. We include the original English edition so that English-speaking professionals can tell what the other-language editions are saying.

English (374 kb)
French (657 kb)
Punjabi (1062 kb)
Chinese (Traditional characters) (571 kb)
Chinese (Simplified characters) (683 kb)

Professional Guide

Authors: Dan Bilsker & Randy Paterson

The original SCDP edition has an accompanying manual for physicians and other professionals. This is designed to help professional caregivers incorporate the SCDP into their own work. The guide will most likely prove helpful for professionals using the new edition as well. Click here for this manual (145 kb).

Dealing with Depression: Self Care for Teens

Authors: Dan Bilsker, Merv Gilbert, David Worling, & E. Jane Garland

Teens get depressed too! The adaptation of the SCDP for teens is called Dealing With Depression. Download this manual here from the CARMHA site.

Remember: These manuals are not substitutes for care by your physician or other healthcare professionals. They are intended purely as educational resources and are meant to be an adjunct to appropriate professional care.