Best Nonfiction on Depression & Mental Health Books for Teens & Young Adults of 2025

Life Skills for Teens: How to Cook, Clean, Manage Money, Fix Your Car, Perform First Aid, and Just About Everything in Between is a comprehensive guide for teenagers who want to learn basic adult skills. It covers a wide range of topics, from cooking and cleaning to managing money and performing first aid. The book is a great resource for teenagers who want to become more independent and self-sufficient. It's also a great gift for parents who want to help their teens prepare for adulthood.

The DBT Skills Workbook for Teens is a helpful guide for teenagers to manage anxiety and stress, understand their emotions, and learn effective communication skills. Developed based on Dialectical Behavior Therapy, this book offers simple yet effective techniques to navigate interpersonal relationships, overcome rejections and failures, and develop mindfulness. The workbook is designed in a fun, engaging, and gamified way, making it a motivating experience for today's distracted teens. The book also includes bonus color printable worksheets. Overall, this book is a valuable resource for parents and teenagers to develop social and emotional habits essential for mental well-being.

The Retrain Your Brain workbook is a 7-week self-directed plan that teaches practical cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to manage anxiety and depression. Dr. Seth Gillihan, a psychologist with 15 years of experience, designed the workbook with unique weekly activities that build on the previous week's work. The workbook is suitable for both sporadic and constant anxiety and includes real-life examples that make the information and activities more accessible to CBT newcomers. The readers have praised the book for its relatable approach, eye-opening material, and effectiveness. In summary, Retrain Your Brain is an excellent resource for anyone struggling with anxiety and depression.

I Would, but my DAMN MIND won't let me!: a teen's guide to controlling their thoughts and feelings by Jacqui Letran is a must-read for teens struggling with negative beliefs, low self-esteem, and anxiety. Letran, a teen confidence expert, provides real-life examples and practical tools to help teens overcome mental hurdles. The book covers important topics such as coping skills, self-talk, decision-making, and more. It has received the Literary Classics Lumen Award and Gold Medal Award for Literary Excellence in Young Adult Non-Fiction, making it a highly recommended read for parents and educators. Overall, this book is a valuable resource for any teen looking to improve their mental health and well-being.

Anxiety Relief for Teens by Dr. Regine Galanti is a comprehensive guide that offers practical tools and techniques to help teenagers overcome anxiety and stress. The author uses a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and mindfulness practices to help readers manage their anxiety and reverse negative patterns. With quizzes, self-assessments, and exercises, this book provides a well-structured therapeutic approach that is relatable to teens' behavior, thinking, and emotional experience. Overall, this book is an excellent resource for both teens and clinicians working with young adults struggling with anxiety.

The Anxiety Workbook for Teens is a fully revised and updated edition, providing the most up-to-date strategies for calming fear, anxiety, and worry. It offers effective techniques for reducing feelings of anxiety and keeping them from taking over your life. This comprehensive guide covers everything from managing social media stress to dealing with pandemics and other events beyond your control. The activities in this book are intended to be tools for managing anxiety throughout life. With over 1.6 million copies sold worldwide, this book is easy to use, proven-effective, and highly recommended by therapists.

A Growth Mindset For Teens: Practical Lessons & Activities To Build Confidence, Problem Solve, Grow Skills, And Become Resilient in 31 Days is a guidebook that equips teenagers with a growth mindset to help them face the challenges ahead. The book provides an in-depth understanding of what a growth mindset is, how it differs from a fixed mindset, and how to cultivate it. It also offers effective strategies to boost neuroplasticity, reframe negative thoughts, and build persistence, resilience, and inner strength. Overall, this book is an excellent resource for parents and teenagers alike who want to develop a growth mindset and become more confident and resilient.

Beyond the Spiral by Will Hutcherson and Dr. Chinwé Williams is a must-read for teenagers and young adults struggling with anxiety. This book helps readers break free from the cycle of fear and anxious thoughts by identifying six lies that can keep them spiraling in anxiety and replacing them with practical strategies and truths. What makes this book unique is that it seamlessly combines faith and psychology, giving readers tools to thrive instead of just surviving life. As a Christian self-help book, Beyond the Spiral offers a refreshing perspective on managing anxiety.

The Anxiety Toolkit for Teens is a comprehensive guide that offers proven techniques and strategies to manage anxiety and improve mental health. The book provides practical exercises and clear explanations to help identify and challenge negative thought patterns, calm the body and mind through relaxation techniques and self-care practices. The book is an essential resource for teenagers who want to overcome anxiety either on their own or with the help of a therapist, as well as parents who want to provide the most effective tools to help their teenager manage their anxiety in an easy and fun way. Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone looking to take control of their anxiety and live a happier, healthier life.

Don't Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens is a comprehensive guidebook for teens looking to find emotional balance in their lives. The book uses proven-effective dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills to help readers manage their emotions, control their anger, and get along with others. The second edition is fully revised and updated, providing even more strategies for managing difficult feelings, accepting one's emotions, and finding calm. Sheri Van Dijk's writing style is practical and easy to follow, making this a must-read for any teen looking to take control of their emotions and lead a fulfilling life.