Finding Depression Treatment

Options for depression care

• Primary care: screening, physical health checks, medication and referrals.
• Therapists: CBT, behavioral activation and interpersonal therapy are well-supported. See therapy for depression.
• Psychiatry: medication management, especially for moderate to severe or complex depression.
• Intensive options: partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient programs when more support is needed.

Online options include talk therapy with BetterHelp, antidepressant prescribing through Lemonaid Health, and services such as PlushCare that offer both therapy and a prescribing doctor. See our online depression treatment comparison.

Taking the first step when motivation is low

Depression can make reaching out feel hard. It may help to ask someone you trust to help you book an appointment, or to start with a brief call to your doctor’s office.

Who can help

Depression can be treated by several kinds of professionals, and the best starting point is whoever you can reach soonest. A primary care clinician can screen for depression, check for medical causes such as thyroid problems or anemia, review medications and discuss treatment. Therapists, including psychologists, counselors and clinical social workers, offer talk therapies such as CBT, behavioral activation and interpersonal therapy; see therapy for depression. Psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners focus on diagnosis and medication, particularly for moderate to severe or complex depression. Many people use a combination, which clinicians often recommend for more serious depression.

What to expect at a first visit

A clinician will usually ask about your mood, sleep, appetite, energy, concentration, interest in activities and any thoughts of death or suicide, as well as your medical history, family history and substance use. You may be asked to complete a short questionnaire. Be as open as you can; clinicians hear these things regularly and ask so they can keep you safe and choose the right treatment. If you’d like, bring someone along or write down what you want to say. See the signs of depression for descriptions of how depression can present.

Treatment choices

• Psychotherapy: effective for mild to moderate depression and valuable at any severity; see CBT.
• Medication: antidepressants can help moderate to severe depression and are often combined with therapy. They typically take several weeks to work.
• Lifestyle support: regular sleep, physical activity, daylight, nutrition and social contact support recovery, although they don’t replace treatment when depression is significant.
• Specialized treatments: for depression that hasn’t responded to standard treatment, clinicians may discuss options such as medication changes, augmentation, brain stimulation therapies like transcranial magnetic stimulation or electroconvulsive therapy, or esketamine given in a certified clinic.
• Higher levels of care: intensive outpatient or hospital care if safety is a concern or symptoms are severe.

Costs and access

Insurance often covers therapy and medication with copays, and community clinics, employers and training programs may provide lower-cost options; see affordable mental health care. Online care can shorten waits and make starting easier, though it isn’t right for everyone; see online therapy and online psychiatry, plus our guide to online depression treatment.

How to know if treatment is working

Improvement is typically gradual. Sleep and energy may improve before mood, and good days and difficult days alternate. Your clinician may repeat questionnaires to track progress. If you’ve had no benefit after several weeks, or side effects are troublesome, speak to your clinician, because there are many ways to adjust the plan. Don’t stop medication suddenly without advice.

If you or someone you know is in crisis

Seek help immediately if you have thoughts of ending your life, a plan or the means, or feel you can’t keep yourself safe. Call your local emergency number or a crisis line, or go to the nearest emergency department. See Get Help Now for numbers. If someone you care about is in danger, stay with them and get help. You deserve support, and depression is treatable. For the condition itself, see depression.

Getting through the early steps

Starting treatment can feel like a mountain when everything is an effort. Break it into tiny steps: look up a provider, make one call, write three sentences about how you’ve been feeling, book one appointment. If speaking on the phone is hard, many clinics offer online booking, and some services let you start by message. Ask a friend or family member to sit with you while you do it, or to go to the first appointment with you. If your first provider isn’t a good fit, try another; finding the right person sometimes takes more than one attempt, and that’s normal.

What else supports recovery

Alongside treatment, small daily habits help: get daylight in the morning, keep regular sleep and meal times, move a little every day, even a short walk, and stay in touch with someone you trust. Avoid using alcohol to cope, as it tends to worsen low mood and sleep. Be patient with yourself, and tell your clinician about setbacks. See sleep and mental health and self-care for practical ideas that fit around treatment.

Next steps

Learn about depression, antidepressants, or compare online depression treatment.