Supporting Someone With Depression Worksheet
GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Supporting a loved one with depression can be challenging. It can be mentally, emotionally, and physically draining, and can lead to burnout and exhaustion without the right tools. While it is a gesture of love to support a loved one who is struggling with depression, it is important to do so in a healthy way.
There are ways to teach a client or their loved one how to support someone with depression in a way that does not impact their own wellness. Knowing how to set personal boundaries and stay patient with a loved one's symptoms is an important part of providing support.
About This Worksheet
It is important to help clients and their loved ones understand and accept the support they can realistically offer, because no one person can offer all of the support a loved one with depression needs all the time. The Supporting Someone With Depression worksheet offers methods of supporting a loved one who is struggling with depression. It also provides reflection questions to aid in making an action plan.
The Supporting Someone With Depression worksheet can be used either with a client who is struggling to support a loved one with depression or with the friends and family of a depressed person. Following the tips on this worksheet can ensure that the client or their loved ones set realistic expectations for themselves and the person they are trying to support. It can be helpful for adults in family, couples, and individual sessions.
Instructions
Explain what it is like to support someone with depression. Educate the client on what depression is and how it affects a person and their loved ones. Answer their questions about what is needed to support a loved one who is struggling with depression.
Review the worksheet with the client, along with family members and friends if needed. You may choose to answer the reflection questions together or have them complete the questions on their own.
Reflect on their responses on the worksheet. You may ask follow-up questions, like:
- What plan can we make to help you feel confident in supporting your loved one?
- What do you need to do to support yourself during this process?
Your guidance can help the client and their loved ones feel confident in their plan and understand how each tip can benefit them. Provide a completed copy of the worksheet for reference.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.; DSM-5-TR). American Psychiatric Publishing.
Donker, T., Griffiths, K. M., Cuijpers, P., & Christensen, H. (2009). Psychoeducation for depression, anxiety, and psychological distress: A meta-analysis. BMC Medicine, 7, Article 79.
Shimazu, K., Okamoto, Y., Fujita, H., Fukunaga, M., Kunugi, H., Kato, N., & Yamawaki, S. (2011). Family psychoeducation for major depression: A randomized controlled trial. British Journal of Psychiatry, 198(5), 385–390.
