Creating a Depression Treatment Plan

Many mental health experts recommend setting SMART goals as part of a successful depression treatment plan. SMART goals provide a clear path to follow, so clients understand what they need to do to progress and find relief from depression. The acronym SMART stands for the following.

• Specific: Once a client has defined goals, it's time to set objectives to help them reach their goals. Objectives describe the actions your client needs to take or skills they need to learn to reach their goals. Objectives should be clear and specific. For example, if a client wants to experience depressed moods less often, they might aim to replace negative self-talk with positive self-talk.
• Measurable: Objectives need to be measurable in some way, so you and your client can gauge their progress. For instance, if the client aims to practice positive self-talk, they might measure this objective by completing a depression questionnaire once a month and see if their score decreases.
• Achievable: Help clients set goals and objectives they can realistically meet within a given timeframe. If targets are too demanding or unrealistic, clients can become discouraged and unmotivated to continue treatment. Focus on a client's strengths, resources and motivation levels when setting achievable goals and objectives.
• Relevant: Goals and objectives should relate to the client's depression and the symptoms they're experiencing. The goals should also be meaningful to the client and seem worthwhile.
• Time-bound: Make sure your client's objectives have deadlines to create a sense of urgency and keep them motivated. While goals can be short- or long-range, objectives should include specific dates for completion.

Some of your clients might know what they want out of treatment, while others may need assistance identifying goals. If your client doesn't know what SMART goals to set, you can help them determine what's most valuable to them. To get started, consider the following questions:

• Why are you seeking treatment?
• What are your symptoms?
• How has depression impacted your life and relationships?
• What do you hope to gain from therapy?
• What are your dreams?
• What are your top priorities?
• What thoughts or behaviors exacerbate depression symptoms?
• What barriers do you need to address to reach your goals?
• What can you do differently to change harmful behaviors?
• Are you capable of meeting specific goals on your own?
• What can your therapist do to help you reach goals and objectives?

It's essential for every client to understand what they hope to accomplish with therapy when creating their treatment plan. Pay close attention to the specific issues your clients wish to address.

For example, imagine you have a client named Mary. Mary has received a major depression diagnosis and has trouble sleeping. While depression has also made it challenging for her to go back to work, her priority is to improve her sleep quality. With this example, you'll want to help Mary set objectives that will help her reach her goal of sleeping better because it impacts other critical areas of her life. You might begin treatment by suggesting she keep a sleep journal, so you and Mary can measure the quantity and quality of her sleep and identify any unhealthy habits she needs to address. Depending on a client's goals, you may need to coordinate care with other health professionals.

By creating a client-focused treatment plan, you'll help clients stay engaged and more committed to treatment. Overall, this can improve treatment outcomes and client satisfaction.