Think Positively!

Depression is experienced in epidemic proportions in many Western societies. There is concern over the number of young people who are suffering, sometimes to the extent of committing suicide. This book will help prevent stress and depression by taking a positive approach to the promotion of health and wellbeing in young people, giving them the skills to cope with the problems of everyday life. Erica Frydenberg introduces the theory behind a cognitive behavioural approach to coping skills and offers a program of modules that can be used with young people to train them in coping skills. The principle that underscores this program is that we can all do what we do better. If we do not like how we cope in certain contexts we can learn new strategies. It is possible to enhance one's coping if we have a framework within which to do so. The program is universally applicable and can be taught in any group setting, although instructors will be able to bring their own experience to adapt the sessions.

Erica Frydenberg is a clinical, organisational, counselling and educational psychologist. She practiced extensively in educational settings in Australia before joining the staff of the University of Melbourne, where she is an Associate Professor in Psychology in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education. She is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and an elected member of its Board 2007-2009.

Foreword Tom Oakland \ Acknowledgements \ Introduction \ Section I: Positive psychology, cognitive behavioural theory and the field of coping: what we know \ Cognitive Behaviour Therapy \ The Adolescent Brain \ Social and Emotional Learning
The Challenge \ From Stress to Coping \ Definitions of Coping \ So what is Coping? \ Measurement of Coping \ What we know about Coping \ Achievement \ Wellbeing and Coping \ Dysfunctional Behaviour and Coping \ Learning to Cope \ How the 12 modules can be used \ Section II: The modules of the program \ Module 1: The Language of Coping \ Module 2: Positive Thinking \ Module 3: Strategies that Don't Help \ Module 4: Getting Along with Others \ Module 5: Asking for Help \ Module 6: Coping with Conflict \ Module 7: Problem Solving \ Module 8: Social Problem Solving \ Module 9: Decision-making \ Module 10: Coping in Cyberworld \ Module 11: Goal Setting and Goal Getting \ Module 12: Time Management \ Section III: Coping Skills for Particular Groups \ Learning Disabled \ Students who have Specific Learning Disabilities \ Features of the Population \ Adapting the Program \ Evaluation \ What learned \ Children who have Experienced Divorce \ The group \ How adapted \ What found \ Dealing with Depression \ What is Depression? \ What are the effects of Depression? \ Intervention \ Helping a young person with Depression \ Chronic Illness \ Features of the Population \ Adaptation of the program \ Young people with Asperger's \ Particular need of students who have Asperger's \ Features of the population \ Adaptation of the program \ Working in small groups \ Concluding remarks \ References