Depression treatment
2-minute read
What is depression?
Depression is a mental health condition which can affect a person's ability to function.
Depression is not just sadness. It’s a disorder that needs to be treated seriously. Being told to ‘cheer up’ or ‘get over it’, won’t help someone suffering from depression, but there are many treatments that can.
Just as there are different types of depression, there are also different types of treatment. Physical, psychological, complementary and self-help solutions can all be effective, usually in combination.
There’s no one treatment for depression, but in consultation with a health care provider you can find the right treatment approach for you and start moving towards a future that is free from depression.
Not sure what to do next?
If you or someone you know are finding it difficult to manage mental health issues, try healthdirect’s symptom checker and get advice on when to seek professional help.
The Symptom Checker guides you to the next appropriate healthcare steps, whether it’s self care, talking to a health professional, going to a hospital or calling triple zero (000).
Last reviewed: August 2017
Need more information?
These trusted information partners have more on this topic.
Top results
St John’s wort as a depression treatment
St John’s wort (hypericum perforatum) is a perennial herb with a yellow flower that has been used to treat nervous conditions since ancient Greek times.
Read more on Black Dog Institute website
Vagus nerve stimulation (depression treatment) information | myVMC
Vagus nerve stimulation involves stimulating the brain via an implanted device that produces electric signals. It treats depression.
Read more on myVMC – Virtual Medical Centre website
Depression: What you need to know | NPS MedicineWise
Learn about depression & the treatment options available, including antidepressants & psychotherapy
Read more on NPS MedicineWise website
Depression symptoms and treatment information | myVMC
Clinical depression is a common psychological condition characterised by persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness, and often also anxiety.
Read more on myVMC – Virtual Medical Centre website
Department of Health | Coping with depression: Australian treatment guide for consumers and carers, 2005
The purpose of this guide is to clarify for consumers and carers the symptoms of depression and where to get help, the treatment options and an estimate of the costs, as well as advice on where to find further information and support.
Read more on Department of Health website
Depression symptoms and treatment information video | myVMC
Depression is a common mental illness that cause constant very low moods. It is treated with antidepressants (medicines) and counselling or psychotherapy.
Read more on myVMC – Virtual Medical Centre website
Treatments for depression
A large number of different treatments are available for depression and new treatments (particularly medications) regularly appear.
Read more on Black Dog Institute website
Seeking help for depression | Black Dog Institute
Learn about treatment for depression: who delivers treatment, what to expect from treatment, costs, and what to do if your treatment is not working
Read more on Black Dog Institute website
Treatment for depression | Black Dog Institute
Learn about treatments for depression including psychological treatments, physical treatments such as medication, ECT, TMS and DCS, eMental Health and self-help strategies
Read more on Black Dog Institute website
Psychoeducation - BluePages
Find out if psychoeducation is likely to help.
Read more on e-hub Web Services - Australian National University (ANU) website
Top results
St John’s wort as a depression treatment
St John’s wort (hypericum perforatum) is a perennial herb with a yellow flower that has been used to treat nervous conditions since ancient Greek times.
Read more on Black Dog Institute website
Treatments for depression
A large number of different treatments are available for depression and new treatments (particularly medications) regularly appear.
Read more on Black Dog Institute website
Is dance movement therapy an effective treatment for depression? A review of the evidence | Cochrane
Depression affects 350 million people worldwide, impacting on quality of life, work, relationships and physical health. Medication and talking therapies are not always suitable or available. Dance movement therapy (DMT) uses bodily movements to explore and express emotions with groups or individuals.This is the first review of the effectiveness of DMT for depression and will add to the evidence base regarding depression treatments.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Psychological treatments to reduce pain in people undergoing open heart surgery | Cochrane
Acute postoperative pain is one of the most disturbing complaints in open heart surgery, and is related to a risk of negative consequences such as impaired wound healing, chronic pain or depression. Psychological treatment is designed to improve patients' knowledge and to alter surgery-related mental distress, negative beliefs and non-compliance. It aims to reduce pain and anxiety, and to improve the post-operative recovery after open heart surgery. Psychological treatment comprises the provision of information about medical procedures and associated emotional responses and sensations before, during and after surgery, and instructions about how to adhere to medical advice to support the recovery; teaching or instructing patients in different relaxation techniques; or helping patients to understand their thoughts and feelings that influence their behaviours.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Are there any effective interventions to help individuals with depression to quit smoking? | Cochrane
People with depression are very often heavy smokers. We wanted to know whether treatments to help people quit smoking are effective for people with current depression or with a history of depression. In this review, treatments were divided into those with or without specific attention to handling depression. We found that smoking cessation treatments with specific attention to handling depression helped smokers who suffered from depression to quit. Psychosocial 'mood management' interventions, where participants learn how to handle depressive symptoms with psychological techniques, were effective in those with current depression and with a history of it. Bupropion, an antidepressant medication to help quit smoking, has been shown to be effective for smoking cessation in healthy smokers. Our findings show that bupropion may benefit smokers with a history of depression as well. However, this was not found for those with current depression. There was a lack of evidence for the effectiveness of other antidepressants to help smokers with a history of depression to quit. There was also not enough evidence for the use of antidepressants in smokers with current depression. Although treatments without specific attention to handling depression, such as nicotine replacement therapy and standard psychosocial smoking cessation interventions, have been shown to help other groups of people to quit smoking, there was not enough evidence to show that they were helpful in people with a history of or with current depression.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Antidepressants for treating depression in adults with end-stage kidney disease treated with dialysis | Cochrane
Antidepressants for treating depression in adults with end-stage kidney disease treated with dialysis
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Pharmacological treatment for psychotic depression | Cochrane
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Depression in older people
Depression reflects a range of biological and social factors and it may be difficult to diagnose in older people as its presentation may differ from that of younger people.
Read more on Black Dog Institute website
Working with young people
Resources for professionals who work with young people in the health and community sector
Read more on beyondblue website
Helpful contacts and websites for health professionals
Helpful contacts and websites for health professionals
Read more on beyondblue website
Healthdirect 24hr 7 days a week hotline
24 hour health advice you can count on
Government Accredited with over 140 information partners
We are a government-funded service, providing quality, approved health information and advice
