''Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy'' is a book written by David D. Burns, first published in 1980, that popularized

cognitive behavioral therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a psycho-social intervention that aims to reduce symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression and anxiety disorders. CBT focuses on challenging and changing cognitive distortions (suc ...

(CBT).

Origins

''Feeling Good'' grew out of dissatisfaction with conventional Freudian treatment of depression. Burns's mentor,

Aaron T. Beck Aaron Temkin Beck (July 18, 1921 – November 1, 2021) was an American psychiatrist who was a professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania.

(considered the "father" of

cognitive therapy Cognitive therapy (CT) is a type of psychotherapy developed by American psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck. CT is one therapeutic approach within the larger group of cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) and was first expounded by Beck in the 1960s. Cogn ...

;

Albert Ellis Albert Ellis (September 27, 1913 – July 24, 2007) was an American psychologist and psychotherapist who founded rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). He held MA and PhD degrees in clinical psychology from Columbia University, and was certi ...

is considered the "grandfather"), concluded that there was no empirical evidence for the success of Freudian

psychoanalysis PsychoanalysisFrom Greek: + . is a set of theories and therapeutic techniques"What is psychoanalysis? Of course, one is supposed to answer that it is many things — a theory, a research method, a therapy, a body of knowledge. In what might b ...

in treating depressed people. The idea that negative feelings such as depression and

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...

are triggered by thoughts or perceptions has a long history, dating back to the

Greek philosopher Ancient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BC, marking the end of the Greek Dark Ages. Greek philosophy continued throughout the Hellenistic period and the period in which Greece and most Greek-inhabited lands were part of the Roman Empire ...

Epictetus Epictetus (; grc-gre, Ἐπίκτητος, ''Epíktētos''; 50 135 AD) was a Greek Stoic philosopher. He was born into slavery at Hierapolis, Phrygia (present-day Pamukkale, in western Turkey) and lived in Rome until his banishment, when ...

, who said that people are disturbed not by things but by the way we think about them.

Popularity

The book has sold over four million copies in the United States, and has also been published in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Yugoslavia and many other countries. It was named one of the top ten behavioral science books of 1980 by the journal ''Behavioral Medicine'', while according to ''The Authoritative Guide to Self-Help Books'' (New York: Guilford Press, 1994) it is the book most frequently recommended for depressed patients by mental health professionals in the United States. A commentary on ''Feeling Good'' is included in ''50 Psychology Classics'' (2006) by

Tom Butler-Bowdon Tom Butler-Bowdon (; born 1967) is a non-fiction author based in Oxford, England. Early life Butler-Bowdon was born in Adelaide. He graduated from the University of Sydney (BA Hons, Government and History) and the London School of Economics (MSc ...

Benefits of bibliotherapy

Evidence from six studies suggests that reading ''Feeling Good'' as a form of self-directed

bibliotherapy Bibliotherapy (also referred to as book therapy, reading therapy, poetry therapy or therapeutic storytelling) is a creative arts therapy that involves storytelling or the reading of specific texts. It uses an individual's relationship to the co ...

had a large helpful effect on treating depression. Evidence from eleven studies supports bibliotherapy generally, when people also have additional guidance. The evidence was limited, because all trials completed only had a small number of participants. One of these studies found that in older adults with mild to moderate depression, reading ''Feeling Good'' with brief intermittent phone check-in sessions was an effective treatment for depression. In her text on ''Cognitive Therapy'', Beck's daughter Judith S. Beck recommends it as a "layman's book" to be used by patients undergoing CBT.

The Feeling Good Handbook

''The Feeling Good Handbook'', also by David D. Burns, includes an explanation of the principles of

, and details ways to improve a person's mood and life by identifying and eliminating common

cognitive distortion A cognitive distortion is an exaggerated or irrational thought pattern involved in the onset or perpetuation of psychopathological states, such as depression and anxiety. Cognitive distortions are thoughts that cause individuals to perceive rea ...

s, as well as methods to improve

communication skills Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquir ...

. Exercises are presented throughout the book to assist the reader in identifying cognitive distortions and replace them with healthy beliefs. A revised edition was published in 1999 ().

Efficacy

The approach of using supported bibliotherapy on the topic of CBT was the subject of a randomised controlled trial, in which patients on a waiting list to receive counselling for depression were given a copy of a similar book (''Overcoming Depression: A Five Areas Approach''). The patients dramatically reduced their scores on depression tests compared to a control group. In 2013, the book was one of 30 titles approved by

The Reading Agency The Reading Agency is a charity registered in England and Wales which promotes the benefits of reading among children and adults in UK, working with partners including public libraries, colleges and prisons. Operations Sue Wilkinson served as t ...

as part of a project to recommend self-help books to people with mental health issues.

References

{{reflist 1980 non-fiction books Bibliotherapy Books about depression Health and wellness books Popular psychology Self-help books William Morrow and Company books Bibliotherapy books