Treatments - what works for depression?

Up to one in six people experience depression, making it the most commonly diagnosed mental health problem. The following information appears in the Instructors Manual for Scotland's Mental Health First Aid.

Treatments that work for depression

The Centre for Mental Health Research and the Australian National University has reviewed the scientific evidence for the effectiveness of a wide range of treatments for depression. The following rating system was developed to show the treatments whose effectiveness was best supported by the evidence.

:):):) These treatments are very useful. They are strongly supported as effective by scientific evidence.

:):) These treatments are useful and are supported by scientific evidence as effective, but the evidence is not as strong.

:) These treatments may be useful and have some evidence to support them. More evidence is needed that they work.

Listed below are medical, psychological, lifestyle and alternative treatments that work. These that have more faces have more evidence to support them. Any of these treatments may be useful for a person with mild to moderate depression. However, a person who is severely depressed will need to include medical treatment.

* TMS involves creating a strong magnetic field across the brain of the patient. It is still an experimental treatment and is not widely available in the UK.

(A) St John’s Wort should not be taken together with antidepressants. This herb interacts with a number of prescribed medications

(B) SAMe can lead to mania in people who have bipolar disorder. It is a naturally occurring substance involved in the body's production of brain chemicals and is available over the counter as a dietary supplement.

Taken from 'Help for Depression - What Works (and What Doesn't)' Jorm, Christensen, Griffiths, Korten and Rodgers, Centre for Mental Health Research, Canberra, 2001.

Also available on the Blue Pages website

About Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid training saves and improves lives. The course teaches people how to recognise mental health problems and how they can assist people in difficulty. Read more about Scotland's Mental Health First Aid.

Medical Treatments

Anti-depressants
adults :):):)
adolescents :)

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) :):):)
(very severe depression only)

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)* :)

Psychological treatments

Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) :):):)

Interpersonal psychotherapy :):)

Reading depression self-help books based on CBT :):)

Psychodynamic psychotherapy :)

Lifestyle and alternative treatments

St. John’s Wort (A) :):)

Exercise :):)

Light therapy
Seasonal Affective Disorder :):)
Non-seasonal depression :)

Acupuncture :)

Alcohol avoidance :)
(for people with drinking problems)

Massage therapy :)

Relaxation therapy :)

SAMe (B) :)

Folic acid :)

Yoga breathing exercises :)