Depression Worksheets For Teens

In this blog post, we’ll talk about why depression worksheets are so helpful for teens. What makes a great worksheet, and how you can use the Depression Worksheets For Teens available in my Etsy shop to support the teens in your life.

Are you supporting a teen or group of teens who are struggling with depression? At times, it sure can feel overwhelming.

Whether you are a parent noticing changes in your child, a teacher watching a student withdraw, or a counselor or therapist trying to guide a teen toward better coping strategies, it can be difficult to know where to start.

Depression affects how teens think, feel, behave, and even how their bodies function. And often, teens don’t have the vocabulary or emotional awareness to explain what they’re experiencing.

This is where our depression worksheets for teens can make a powerful difference.

Well-designed worksheets give teenagers a safe, structured way to explore their emotions, recognize symptoms, identify triggers, and build healthy coping skills.

They help teens feel understood, less alone, and more in control of their mental health.

The activities also give adults, whether at home or in a school or therapeutic setting, practical tools to start meaningful conversations and support young people more effectively.

Why Teens Need Tools to Understand Depression?

Depression is more common among teens than we may realize.

Think – academic pressure, social media, friendship changes, identity struggles, family stress, and hormonal changes can all contribute to emotional overwhelm.

Unlike us, adults, teens are still developing emotionally and cognitively.

This means they:

• May not understand their symptoms

• Feel scared or embarrassed

• May shut down instead of talking

• Might express depression through anger, irritability, or avoidance

• May think “something is wrong with me,” even though depression is treatable

Depression worksheets help bridge this gap in understanding.

They allow teens to:

• Put their feelings into words

• Recognize patterns they didn’t see before

• Understand that what they’re experiencing is real

• Feel validated rather than dismissed

• Learn coping skills they can use on their own

• Build emotional awareness over time

When worksheets are done regularly, they can help you, as a parent, teacher, or counselor, track your teen’s overall mental health and intervene earlier when needed.

What Makes a Good Depression Worksheet for Teens?

Not all mental health worksheets are created equally.

Teens respond best when worksheets are:

Teen-Friendly (Not Childish) – Teens won’t engage if the graphics or language feel babyish. They need tools that feel modern, minimal, respectful, and age-appropriate.

Clear and Non-Judgmental – Teens need to feel safe exploring their emotions. The wording should be validating and gentle.

Easy to Understand – Mental health concepts must be broken down in simple, relatable language.

Therapeutic in Structure – The worksheets should guide teens through reflection, awareness, emotional naming, thought-challenging, and coping strategies.

Evidence-Informed – Worksheets should reflect therapeutic practices seen in CBT, DBT, or emotion regulation frameworks.

Printable and Reusable – Teens may want to revisit worksheets week after week to track progress.

The Teen Depression Worksheets available on my Etsy shop were created with all of this in mind.

They’re simple enough for your teens to follow independently, but structured enough to be effective in counseling and therapeutic settings.

Teen Depression Worksheet 

I created a comprehensive teen depression workbook designed specifically for ages 12–16.

It includes multiple worksheets to help teens better understand what depression is, how it affects them personally, and how they can cope in healthy ways.

These worksheets are perfect for:

• Parents supporting teens at home

• School counselors and social workers

• Therapists and psychologists

• Teachers running SEL activities

• Youth leaders and mentors

Here’s an overview of what’s inside the bundle:

1. “What Is Depression?” Educational Worksheet

This worksheet explains depression in a way teens can easily understand. Instead of using clinical terminology, it breaks down what depression feels like, how it affects the brain, and why it’s not their fault. When teens understand the “why” behind their symptoms, the shame and confusion lessen, and acceptance begins.

2. “What Depression Feels Like” Self-Identification Page

Teens often have trouble naming what they feel. This worksheet helps them recognize:

• Emotional signs (sadness, numbness, irritability, hopelessness)

• Physical signs (fatigue, headaches, sleep issues)

• Thought patterns (overthinking, negative self-talk, feeling overwhelmed)

Understanding the symptoms is the first step toward managing them.

3. “How to Identify Depression in Yourself” Awareness Worksheet

Teens learn to recognize early signs of depression, such as:

• Withdrawing from friends

• Losing interest in hobbies

• Struggling with motivation

• Feeling more irritated than usual

• Changes in appetite or sleep

This worksheet helps teens connect the dots so they can ask for help sooner.

4. “Depression Triggers” Reflection Page

Triggers vary from teen to teen. Some are emotional, some environmental, and some relational. This worksheet guides teens through identifying:

• What events or situations impact their mood

• How their body responds

• Patterns in their emotional cycles

Understanding triggers helps teens and adults plan healthier responses.

5. Coping Skills & Mood Reset Activities Worksheet

Teens often don’t know what to do when their mood drops. This worksheet gives them actionable strategies, such as:

• Grounding exercises

• Quick mood resets

• Calming techniques

• Healthy outlets

• Simple sensory tools

• Longer-term coping habits

Many teens report that this sheet becomes their go-to page whenever they’re overwhelmed.

6. Journaling Prompts for Depression

The bundle includes over 50 journaling prompts that guide teens through exploring their emotions, challenging negative thoughts, practicing self-compassion, and expressing themselves safely. Journaling is one of the most effective ways for teens to process complex feelings, and these prompts take the guesswork out of where to start.

7. Personal Depression Support Plan

This worksheet helps teens create a personalized, step-by-step safety and support plan for difficult days. They identify:

• Safe people

• coping tools

• signs their mood is dropping

• Things they need to avoid

• What they can do to help themselves

This page is extremely helpful for both teens and the adults supporting them.

Why These Worksheets Work For Teens?

These worksheets were created with both compassion and clinical guidance in mind. They don’t just tell teens what depression is, but rather walk them through understanding themselves.

Teens love these worksheets because they:

• don’t feel childish

• easy to follow

• help them articulate what they can’t say out loud

• feel seen and validated

Adults love them because they:

• open up conversations

• help identify concerns earlier

• provide structure for emotional check-ins

• support mental health across home and school

When a teen begins to understand their depression through gentle, guided worksheets, they often feel more in control and less overwhelmed.

How to Use Depression Worksheets with Teens?

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, counselor, or therapist, there are many ways to use these worksheets effectively.

At Home

Parents can use the worksheets as a:

• weekly emotional check-in

• way to open conversations without pressure

• tool for teens to reflect before bed

• resource during difficult days

In the Classroom

Teachers and guidance counselors can use them for:

• SEL lessons

• Mental health awareness activities

• Small group discussions

• Quiet reflection time

In Counseling Sessions

Therapists and social workers often use worksheets to:

• Help teens open up

• Track symptoms

• Explore triggers

• Reinforce coping strategies

• Support emotional literacy

The worksheets add structure to sessions while still leaving room for discussion and deeper processing.

In Teen Support Groups

Youth leaders, church mentors, and after-school facilitators can use them to help teens express emotions safely in group settings.

Where to get the Teen Depression Worksheet Bundle?

You can download the full Teen Depression Worksheet Bundle instantly from my Etsy shop. It prints beautifully in black-and-white, and you can use it again and again.

Shop Teen Depression Worksheets Printable PDF

Whether you’re a parent trying to better understand your child, a teacher supporting students, or a therapist looking for helpful session tools, these worksheets offer a meaningful, practical way to support teens through depression.

More Coping Skills Resources For Teens

Here are some more coping skills resources you may want to check out for your teens:

• Anger management worksheets for teens
• 7 Powerful ways to support teens’ mental health
• Confidence-building worksheets for teen girls
• How to help a teen with shame

Pin These Teen Depression Printable PDF

Make sure to save these depression PDF printables for your teens to your Teens SEL Pinterest board so that you can easily access them when needed. And while on Pinterest, please consider following me on the platform.