Psychological self-help interventions: delivering self-help for individuals, featuring Step-by-Step and Doing What Matters in Times of Stress

Overview

Individually delivered psychological self-help interventions are an evidence-based and scalable approach to expanding access to effective mental health support across diverse settings. Recommended by WHO, they use structured techniques and exercises that help individuals manage psychological distress and symptoms related to mental health, brain health and substance use conditions. Delivered through formats including digital platforms, printed materials and video, with or without brief support, they can reach large numbers of people with relatively limited provider time.

This manual provides programme managers and service providers with comprehensive guidance and tools to plan and implement individually delivered guided or unguided psychological self-help interventions, including the scripts and materials needed for guided versions. It also provides detailed guidance on delivering two WHO psychological self-help interventions, Step-by-Step (SbS) and Doing What Matters in Times of Stress (DWM), both of which have demonstrated effectiveness in multiple randomized controlled trials.

A web annex with instructions and resources for implementing Step-by-Step is also available. Read more about WHO’s psychological self-help interventions here