Treatments for depression
The first step to getting treatment is to see your doctor. They should rule out any physical causes of depression. The choice of treatment should be based on a thorough assessment by your doctor but antidepressant medications and talking treatments have both been found to be effective in the treatment of depression.
Most individuals do best with combined treatment: medication to gain quick symptom relief, and psychotherapy to learn more effective ways to deal with life's problems, including depression.
Some people with milder forms may do well with a psychological therapy alone. People with moderate to severe depression most often benefit from antidepressants. Sometimes when the depression is severe or life threatening (or for people who cannot take antidepressant medication) electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is useful. Complementary Therapies can also have a role in decreasing stress and preventing relapses.
Medication
People with moderate to severe depression often benefit from Antidepressants. Two thirds of people will respond to any given antidepressant.
Psychological therapies
The three most promising treatments at the moment are cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy and problem-solving therapy. See the Talking treatments section for more information.
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)
tackles the symptoms and the underlying problems that have contributed to your depression. It also helps to reduce the chance of getting depressed again in the future. CBT treats depression by:
concentrates on your relationships with other people. The focus of the therapy is on improving relationships, learning to communicate more effectively, and improving your view of yourself. The emphasis in treatment is on the here and now and on specific problems. Interpersonal therapy often looks at grief, changes in role, disputes with other people and putting other people down.
Problem-solving
is often a part of other therapies. However, more recently problem solving has been used as a short term therapy in its own right. It is usually brief, often around four to six sessions and involves: identifying current problems, recognizing own strengths and weaknesses and available sources of support, learning a systematic way to tackle problems and deal with setbacks.
Electroconvulsive therapy
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) is an effective form of treatment for people with depression. ECT may be used when a severely depressed patient has not responded to antidepressants, is unable to tolerate the side effects of antidepressants, or must improve rapidly.
In studies of people treated with ECT it has been found that 80% of such people report that they were helped by treatments. While ECT is a highly successful way of helping people come out of depressions, it has to be followed by antidepressant therapy. If antidepressants are not given after a series of ECT, there is a 50% relapse rate within 6 months. There is no scientific evidence that ECT causes brain damage, although it does cause memory problems which may take a number of months to clear. A small number of people who have received ECT complain of longer lasting memory problems.
People with moderate to severe depression often benefit from Antidepressants. Two thirds of people will respond to any given antidepressant.
Psychological therapies
The three most promising treatments at the moment are cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy and problem-solving therapy. See the Talking treatments section for more information.
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)
tackles the symptoms and the underlying problems that have contributed to your depression. It also helps to reduce the chance of getting depressed again in the future. CBT treats depression by:
- Helping you to recognise vicious circles that keep you depressed
- Teaching you to examine your behaviour and make changes if necessary
- Identifying your negative thoughts
- Challenging your negative thoughts and teaching you to think more realistically
- Helping you to recognise beliefs and assumptions that contributed to your depression and showing you how to change them
concentrates on your relationships with other people. The focus of the therapy is on improving relationships, learning to communicate more effectively, and improving your view of yourself. The emphasis in treatment is on the here and now and on specific problems. Interpersonal therapy often looks at grief, changes in role, disputes with other people and putting other people down.
Problem-solving
is often a part of other therapies. However, more recently problem solving has been used as a short term therapy in its own right. It is usually brief, often around four to six sessions and involves: identifying current problems, recognizing own strengths and weaknesses and available sources of support, learning a systematic way to tackle problems and deal with setbacks.
Electroconvulsive therapy
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) is an effective form of treatment for people with depression. ECT may be used when a severely depressed patient has not responded to antidepressants, is unable to tolerate the side effects of antidepressants, or must improve rapidly.
In studies of people treated with ECT it has been found that 80% of such people report that they were helped by treatments. While ECT is a highly successful way of helping people come out of depressions, it has to be followed by antidepressant therapy. If antidepressants are not given after a series of ECT, there is a 50% relapse rate within 6 months. There is no scientific evidence that ECT causes brain damage, although it does cause memory problems which may take a number of months to clear. A small number of people who have received ECT complain of longer lasting memory problems.
