Antidepressants help balance neurotransmitters, while therapy identifies negative thought patterns. Combining them may yield the best results.

In 2021, an estimated 61% of adults in the United States with a major depressive episode had received treatment within the last year.

If you live with depression, finding the right treatment can be paramount for your well-being and quality of life.

Two types of treatments are considered the most effective for depression: antidepressant medication and psychotherapy.

These approaches have been extensively researched and can be used either alone or in combination.

A large analysis from 2019 found that antidepressant medication was slightly more effective than cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in reducing overall depression severity in people diagnosed with a depressive disorder.

Antidepressant medication outperformed CBT in reducing the following symptoms:

  • depressed mood
  • feelings of guilt
  • suicidal thoughts
  • mental anxiety
  • general somatic symptoms

However, a meta-analysis found that combined treatment was significantly more effective than either psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy alone in achieving symptom reduction and remission of moderate depression symptoms.

Additionally, combined treatment and psychotherapy alone led to fewer dropouts than pharmacotherapy alone. This suggests that people may find psychotherapy or combined approaches easier to tolerate or adhere to compared to medication alone.

It’s believed that antidepressants work by balancing your brain’s neurotransmitters, particularly serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline.

Research from 2020 suggests that antidepressants work best for moderate, severe, and chronic depression but not necessarily for mild depression.

About half of all people with depression will respond to any given antidepressant, regardless of its class; however, one in three will not respond to the medication at all. Among the remaining individuals, most will eventually respond to another antidepressant or a combination of antidepressants.

The National Health Society explains that while antidepressants are effective at relieving symptoms, they don’t necessarily address the cause. This means that if you stop taking your. medication, you still have an elevated risk of future episodes.

Two of the most effective types of psychotherapies for depression include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT).

CBT is the most widely known and most rigorously tested of all types of psychotherapy.

CBT is based on the premise that inaccurate and harmful beliefs play a major role in causing depression. Correcting these dysfunctional thinking patterns can reduce both present and future depressive episodes. CBT focuses on thinking patterns and modifying behavior rather than exploring past experiences.

IPT is another good option for treating depression, especially if you believe your depression is related to your relationships (not just romantic). This therapy is a targeted short-term treatment (12-16 weeks) designed to improve mood symptoms by enhancing interpersonal functioning.

It’s based on the premise that depressive symptoms and relationship problems are often intertwined and constantly affecting each other.

The most commonly used antidepressants for depression include the following:

Less commonly prescribed antidepressants include the following:

  • selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors
  • selective noradrenaline/dopamine reuptake inhibitors
  • adrenergic alpha-2 receptor antagonists
  • monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors
  • melatonin receptor agonists and serotonin 5-HT2C receptor antagonists

The pros of antidepressants:

  • less expensive than therapy
  • simple to do; involves no extra time
  • regulates brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine

Cons of antidepressant medication:

  • may result in side effects
  • may take 2-8 weeks to see a difference
  • may take a few tries to get the right medication
  • some people may develop suicidal thoughts, particularly young people
  • may be difficult to stop taking, causing discontinuation symptoms

Psychotherapy and antidepressant medications are two key interventions for treating depression.

Each approach has successfully treated millions of people, and research has shown that they’re particularly effective when used together.

While it’s very important to make an informed choice and do your own research, be sure to consult with a doctor about which approach might be right for you.