Module 4: Thinking Tools

This chapter outlines thought tools to help with CBT for late-life depression, including identifying unhelpful thoughts, keeping an unhelpful thought diary (UTD), rating the strength of unhelpful thoughts, the strength of emotions, unhelpful thought patterns, and how to identify them. It also explores challenging unhelpful thoughts, overthinking, thought stopping, and setting aside time to worry, as well as core beliefs, unhelpful core beliefs, core beliefs associated with life stages, and techniques for changes core beliefs.

Module 7: Ending Therapy

This chapter outlines the process of ending CBT for late-life depression, including scheduling the therapy conclusion process, maintenance of achievements, review of skills learned, planning for future stressful situations, and warning signs.

Module 3: Doing Tools

This chapter outlines active tools to help with CBT for late-life depression, including behavioral activation, activity monitoring, scheduling pleasant activities, breaking tasks into manageable pieces, and exploring thoughts and expectations. It also discusses the importance of pleasant activities, monitoring mood, the California Older Person’s Pleasant Events Schedule (COPPES), and graphing the relationship between pleasant events and mood, as well as problem-solving steps and techniques.

Module 1: Introduction to Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

This chapter presents an introduction to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), including a summary of the cognitive-behavioral approach, the A-B-C model, downward spiral, aspects of CBT, the importance of rewards, and practice questions.

Module 2: Identifying Target Complaints and Setting Goals

This chapter discusses identification of target complaints and setting goals in CBT for late-life depression, including steps to identify and prioritize target complaints, rating scales for measuring changes, translating target complaints into goals, and progress towards goals.

Module 6: Communication Tools

This chapter discusses communication tools to help with CBT for late-life depression, including the communication continuum (passive, aggressive, and effective/assertive communication styles), effective communication in conflicted situations, role playing activities, and techniques to improve interpersonal effectiveness, such as ‘I’ statements, compromise, repetition, and techniques for developing new relationships.

Module 5: Feeling Tools

This chapter discusses feeling tools to help with CBT for late-life depression, including the importance of relaxation, awareness of anxiety, keeping a tension diary, relaxation training, as well as imagery as a tool to challenge negative thoughts and stress management, and the management of frustration and anger.