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:[phone]
beyondblueinfoline1300224636
F:[phone]
E:[e-mail]
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