FACT SHEET 5

Why use both psychological 

treatments and medications 

for depression?

For more information

 www.beyondblue.org.au 

or

 beyondblue info line 1300 22 4636

1 of 2

When a person is depressed, it affects both 
the body and the mind. It disrupts some of the 
body’s most basic systems, making the person 
feel unwell. Those systems affected include the:

• Centralnervoussystem(ie.brainfunction)
• Sleep-wakecycle
• Hormonalsystem
• Stressresponsesystem
• Immunesystem
• Gastrointestinalsystem.

It doesn’t matter what causes depression, both psychological 
treatments and medications help to relieve the main 
symptoms. Different types of depression need different 
treatments. As well, people respond differently to different 
treatments. Together with your doctor or mental health 
professional, you can find the treatment that works best for 
you. Some people respond well to psychological treatments, 
while others respond best to medications.

Psychological treatments can help to:

• Changeyournegativethoughtsandfeelings
• Encourageyoutogetinvolvedinactivities
• Speedyourrecovery
• Preventdepressionfromrecurring
• Identifywaystomanageyourillnessandstaywell.

Antidepressent medications:

• Mayhaveaphysicalimpact
• Helptotreatsymptomsofdepression
• Aresafe,effectiveandnotaddictive
• Helpyoutomanageyourillness.

THE EFFECTS oF TrEATEd And 
unTrEATEd dEprESSion

The diagram below shows what happens when depression 
iseithertreatedorleftuntreated.Psychologicaltreatments
improve coping skills by dealing with life’s stressors and 
conflicts.Medicationsontheotherhand,haveaphysical
impact. They improve brain function by changing the brain’s 
chemicals. When these two treatments are combined, they can 
tackle successfully the symptoms of depression. If depression 
isn’t treated, there can be negative physical effects on the 
body’s systems.

uSing TrEATmEnTS To SuiT THE pErSon 

Manytreatmentsareavailableforpeoplewithdepression.Itis
important to use psychological treatment(s) or medication(s) 
that work for you and are the most useful for your level of 
depression or anxiety. Different treatments target different parts 
of the depression cycle, as shown in this diagram.

Manytreatmentsdonotfixtheproblem.Forexample,sleeping
tablets or simple counselling are ineffective, even though they 
may provide temporary relief.

Effectivetreatmentsfordepressionareavailable–both
psychological treatments and medication. These treatments 
can relieve physical symptoms and correct negative thoughts 
and feelings.

dEprESSivE  

illnESS 

physical Symptoms

Interpersonal therapy

nEgATivE 

FEElingS

nEgATivE 

THougHTS

Breaking the depression cycle

Cognitivetherapy

Antidepressant drugs

FACT SHEET 5

Why use both psychological 

treatments and medications 

for depression?

For more information

 www.beyondblue.org.au 

or

 beyondblue info line 1300 22 4636

2 of 2

The following table gives you an idea of the range of treatments available and outlines their suitability for different degrees of 
depression and anxiety. Forexample,specificmedicationtherapyismoreusefulforpatientswithseveredepressionthanforthose
with mild depression.

mEdiCAl 

ASSESSmEnT  

& rEviEW

 
 

EduCATion

 

pSYCHologiCAl 

THErApY

SpECiFiC 

mEdiCATion  

THErApY

Milddepression

3

3

3

–

Moderatedepression

33

33

33

33

Severe depression

333

33

33

*

333

Mixeddepression&anxiety

33

33

33

33

Mildanxiety

3

3

3

–

Moderateanxiety

3

33

33

3

Severe anxiety

33

33

333

33 

Key: 

3

 

–mildbenefits;

33

 

–moderatebenefits;

333

–mostbenefits.

*  N.B. If people are severely depressed they may be unable to participate in psychological treatment, such as problem solving or changing negative self-thoughts,  

until they have responded to drug therapy. 

Source:Hickieetal.EducationalHealthSolutions;2000.Reproducedwithpermissionwww.spheregp.com.au.

© beyondblue: the national depression initiative,2009.
POBox6100,HawthornWestVIC3122 
T:(03)98106100 
beyondblueinfoline1300224636
F:(03)98106111 
E:bb@beyondblue.org.au 
W: www.beyondblue.org.au

undErSTAnding Your illnESS  
And TrEATmEnT 

You, your family and close friends need to have a good 
understanding about treatments for depression. Havingthis
information helps you to:

• Recogniseyoursymptoms
• Understandtheirrelationshiptostress
• Worktowardsrecovery.

You can help yourself by:

• Readingtheinformationonbeyondblue’s fact sheets 

and website 

• Askingyourdoctorquestions
• Readingbooks,pamphletsandotherwebsiteson

depression

• Contactingself-helpgroups.

morE inFormATion

beyondblueFactsheet10:Changingyourthinking
–Informationonthinkingpatterns,cognitivetherapies,
relationship-based and other therapies. 

beyondblueFactsheet11:Antidepressantmedication.

beyondblueSSRIFactsheet:Antidepressantsforthetreatment
of depression in children and adolescents. A fact sheet for 
parents and other carers. 

To read an article on treating depression, see:
‘Treating depression: the beyondblue guidelines for treating 
depressioninprimarycare.’–Medical Journal of Australia 
(2002)at: www.mja.com.au/public/issues/176_10_200502/
ell10082_fm.html

WrittenbyEllisandSmith,thisarticleprovidesevidence-based
treatment guidance across the range of depressive disorders 
and shows where specialist treatment and primary care is 
indicated. Download the article to learn more.

Source:Hickieetal.EducationalHealthSolutions;2000. 
Reproducedwithpermissionwww.spheregp.com.au.

04/09