Coping with the catch-22s of depression: A guide for educating patients

The author developed a protocol for educating patients about depression that focuses on the obstacles encountered in the course of recovery. These obstacles are construed as "catch-22s," the gist of which is that all the things patients must do to recover from depression are made difficult by virtue of the symptoms of depression. After describing the evolution of the patient education program and providing an overview of the content of the educational curriculum, the author presents the written material that is given as a handout to the patients in the educational group. A guide to the pertinent literature on depression is also included as an appendix.