--- title: "WHO Launches New Guide to Scale Psychological Self-Help for Depression and Anxiety" slug: who-guide-scale-psychological-self-help-2026 category: health category_label: "Health" author: "BrainWavePost Staff" date: 2026-06-08 tags: ["who", "mental health", "self-help", "depression", "anxiety"] read_time_minutes: 6 canonical_url: https://brainwavepost.com/article/who-guide-scale-psychological-self-help-2026 source: BrainWavePost --- # WHO Launches New Guide to Scale Psychological Self-Help for Depression and Anxiety *Health · 2026-06-08 · BrainWavePost Staff · 6 min read* > On 1 June 2026 the World Health Organization launched a new implementation guide to help countries scale evidence-based psychological self-help interventions, including Step-by-Step and Doing What Matters in Times of Stress. > **How this article is sourced** _(info)_ > > Every factual claim is taken directly from the World Health Organization's 1 June 2026 departmental update and the guide itself, 'Psychological self-help interventions: delivering self-help for individuals, featuring Step-by-Step and Doing What Matters in Times of Stress.' [1][2] This is general health information, not medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. On 1 June 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a new guide to help countries and organizations scale up psychological self-help interventions, with the aim of expanding access to evidence-based mental health care. [1] ## Why scale self-help? WHO notes that more than one billion people worldwide live with a mental health condition, yet many lack access to effective care. Psychological self-help interventions are described as one way to help close this gap, offering structured techniques that people can use on their own with minimal human support. [1] According to WHO, evidence shows self-help approaches are effective, particularly for depression and anxiety, and they have already been recommended in WHO guidelines for a range of mental health, brain health, and substance use conditions. Their ability to reach large numbers of people remotely makes them especially valuable in low-resource and crisis-affected settings. [1] ## What the new guide covers The guide — 'Psychological self-help interventions: delivering self-help for individuals, featuring Step-by-Step and Doing What Matters in Times of Stress' — targets programme managers, implementers, supervisors, and frontline helpers across health, humanitarian, and community settings. [1][2] - Practical steps for establishing both unguided and guided self-help models. [1] - Guidance on integrating self-help into primary health care, community programmes, and digital services. [1] - Tools, scripts, and templates to support high-quality implementation. [1] WHO explains that guided self-help involves delivering the self-help intervention with brief regular support — either within existing appointments or from a trained and supervised non-specialist helper. [1] ## The two WHO interventions featured The guide gives detailed information on implementing two WHO interventions that have been tested in randomized controlled trials, where they were delivered with 15 minutes of support over five weeks from a trained, supervised non-specialist helper: [1] - Step-by-Step — a digital intervention for adults with depression. [1][3] - Doing What Matters in Times of Stress — a stress-management intervention based on acceptance and commitment therapy. [1][4] WHO reports that digital versions of these interventions are already embedded in national services in Lebanon and Thailand, showing how self-help can be delivered safely and effectively at scale. [1] - **1B+** — people worldwide living with a mental health condition (WHO) [1] - **5 weeks** — trial duration with ~15 min weekly non-specialist support [1] - **2** — WHO interventions featured: Step-by-Step and Doing What Matters [1] > **Where to read the guide** _(tip)_ > > The full publication is freely available from WHO: 'Psychological self-help interventions: delivering self-help for individuals' (2026). See https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240120785 [2] ## Why this matters The new guide adds to WHO's suite of resources on psychological interventions and, according to WHO, is expected to support global efforts to expand access to community-based, evidence-based mental health care. [1][5] > **Not a substitute for professional care** _(note)_ > > Self-help interventions are designed to complement, not replace, professional mental health care. Anyone experiencing significant distress or symptoms should seek advice from a qualified health professional. ## References (clickable) - [1] World Health Organization — 'WHO launches new guide to help scale psychological self-help' (1 June 2026): https://www.who.int/news/item/01-06-2026-who-launches-new-guide-to-help-scale-psychological-self-help - [2] World Health Organization — 'Psychological self-help interventions: delivering self-help for individuals, featuring Step-by-Step and Doing What Matters in Times of Stress' (2026): https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240120785 - [3] World Health Organization — Step-by-Step (digital intervention for depression): https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/B09738 - [4] World Health Organization — Doing What Matters in Times of Stress: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240003927 - [5] World Health Organization — Psychological interventions (overview): https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/treatment-care/Psychological-interventions --- _Canonical article: [https://brainwavepost.com/article/who-guide-scale-psychological-self-help-2026](https://brainwavepost.com/article/who-guide-scale-psychological-self-help-2026) — © BrainWavePost. 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