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Treatment - Clinical depression

Treatment for depression includes:

  • self-help
  • talking therapies
  • medicines

Your GP or health care team may recommend 1 or more treatments.

Treatment will depend on the type of depression you have and how severe it is.

Mild depression

The following treatments are available for mild depression.

Physical activity

Physical activity is one of the main treatments for mild depression.

Physical activity and your mental health

Self-help

Talking through your feelings can be helpful. You could talk to a friend or relative, or you can ask your GP to suggest a local self-help group.

You can also get support from mental health charities and organisations.

Your GP may recommend self-help books and online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

CBT helps you manage difficulties by thinking in a more balanced way. It can help you change unhelpful thought patterns and behaviour.

Give it time

If you're diagnosed with mild depression, it may improve over time. Your GP will usually check up on you in 2 weeks. You can follow up if this does not happen.

Living with clinical depression

Mild to moderate depression

Your GP may refer you to talking therapy for mild or moderate depression. For example, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and counselling.

Your GP can refer you to psychological therapy but you do not usually need a referral. If you want you can choose a therapist yourself.

Make sure the therapist is accredited by a professional body such as:

Talking therapies

Moderate to severe depression

The following treatments are for moderate to severe depression.

Antidepressants

Antidepressants are tablets that treat the symptoms of depression. There are almost 30 different types of antidepressant. Your GP will prescribe these.

Antidepressants

Talking treatments

Your GP may refer you to talking therapy for moderate to severe depression.

Talking therapies

Combination therapy

Your GP may recommend that you take antidepressants plus talking therapy. For moderate to severe depression, having both treatments works better than 1 treatment on its own.

Mental health teams

You may be referred to a mental health team if you have moderate to severe depression.

They could include:

  • psychologists
  • psychiatrists
  • specialist nurses
  • occupational therapists

These teams often use specialist talking therapy as well as prescribed medicine to treat you.

Other treatments

The following treatments can also be used for depression.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness involves paying close attention to the present moment. You focus on your thoughts, feelings, sensations and the world around you.

The aim is to develop a better understanding of your mind and body. You try to learn how to live with more appreciation and less anxiety.

It is recommended for preventing depression, if you have had 3 or more episodes of depression.

Mindfulness

Herbal remedies

Some people use natural or herbal remedies to treat depression symptoms.

Ask your GP, care team or pharmacist for advice if you're thinking about using a herbal remedy.

These products might affect other medicines you're taking.

Getting support

Support for clinical depression - aware.ie

List of organisations offering mental health support


Content supplied by the NHS and adapted for Ireland by the HSE

Page last reviewed: 9 April 2025
Next review due: 9 April 2028