Books: An Introduction to Coping With Depression For Carers

Everyone likes short books. It’s more important than most that this book doesn’t appear overwhelming, as it’s targeted at those who may be feeling overwhelmed by other parts of their life.

This book is a brief, but not insubstantial, guide to those who are looking after someone who has depression. The current book is updated and slightly expanded from a 2013 version, though this isn’t mentioned in the book itself. There’s also no information about the author, but intriguingly, his other books are for children.

What is included is sensible advice on depression symptoms, how it affects people, and how carers can look after themselves. Navigating contact with GPs, psychologists, and psychiatrists is also covered, as is the sorts of treatments that work, and what to do when they don’t. Throughout the book are comments from carers drawn from the published literature. That points to one of the strengths of this book: that the advice offered is based on published evidence.

None of the advice seems too complicated, and all of it seems achievable. It runs the risk of oversimplification however; for example: ‘It is helpful if you can encourage the depressed person to talk about their feelings and emotions as early as possible.’(p27).

Well, yes, but easier said than done. There could also have been more discussion about dealing with coexisting medical conditions, common among those with depression. However, both of these would extend and complicate the book, making it less approachable, and so probably harder to use.

This book can be recommended as a practical read for those living with people with depression, and for registrars looking for practical advice to pass on. After all, everyone likes short books.

• © British Journal of General Practice 2016