Do Antidepressants Work?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Antidepressants WorkAntidepressants and Long-Term EffectsTips for Taking AntidepressantsLong-term Use of AntidepressantsA Word From Verywell

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

How Antidepressants Work

Antidepressants and Long-Term Effects

Tips for Taking Antidepressants

Long-term Use of Antidepressants

A Word From Verywell

Does depression medication work? If you have been diagnosed with depression or are experiencing depressive symptoms, it is normal to wonder if antidepressants work or if they can even cure your condition.

If you’re wondering whetherantidepressantswill cure you in the same way that an antibiotic cures an infection, the answer is no; they do noteradicate the underlying causes of depression. There is a lot that we still don’t know about antidepressants, or depression in general. While antidepressants can alter neurotransmitter levels and function in the brain, they may not cause permanent changes in brain structure or chemistry.

How it affects neurotransmitters can vary from one antidepressant to the next. Some help the brain use neurotransmitters more effectively, some increase neurotransmitter levels, and others impact neurotransmitter receptors.

By affecting these neurotransmitters, antidepressants allow a greater quantity of these neurotransmitters to remain available within the brain. The goal of this is to make up for any deficiencies that might be causing a person’s depression symptoms.

So do antidepressants work as a permanent cure for depression? No, they do not, and the reason for this lies in how they work. While they cause changes in brain chemistry, this effect is only temporary. When you stop taking the antidepressant, your brain chemistry will return to its previous state.

While the effects are not permanent, this does not mean that antidepressants don’t work or are not effective in the treatment of depression. A 2018 review published inThe Lancetfound that all antidepressants included in the review were more effective than a placebo for major depressive disorder.

However, If what you really want to know is whether they are capable of providing long-term relief from the symptoms of depression, then the answer is yes. Antidepressants do appear to be able to provide lasting benefits to those who take them.

In a 2011Journal of Psychiatric Researcharticle, it was reported that depressed adults who used antidepressants were three times less likely than their unmedicated counterparts to still be depressed after eight years.

Unfortunately, when people start to feel better, they often take this as a sign that they have been cured and they stop taking their medication on their own, which can cause serious problems. Not only are they at risk of having their depression return, or even become worse, they are also at risk for developing symptoms such as muscle aches, fatigue, and nausea as a result ofdiscontinuation syndrome.

To avoid these problems and get the best results from an antidepressant, consider these tips:

How does depression medication work in the long term? Does this all mean that you must take an antidepressant for the rest of your life? Not necessarily. Perhaps the most important factor in determining whether you will need to take an antidepressant indefinitely is your risk fordepression relapse.

If this is your first depressive episode, then your doctor may recommend that you stay on your medication for four to nine months (sometimes up to a year) and then gradually taper off it.If you’ve had two episodes of depression, a familial history of depression, or a particularly severe depressive episode, your doctor might recommend that you remain on your antidepressant long-term.

If you’ve had three or more depressive episodes, your doctor will likely want you to remain on antidepressants because you are 95% more likely to have a relapse within two years.

Fortunately, more and more research is being done on thelong-term use of antidepressantsand how they impact your health. Like all medications, SSRIs have the potential forside effectssuch as weight change, sleep changes, and sexual side effects.

Despite potential side effects, there are many positives of taking an antidepressant long-term including feeling less depressed and having an overall better quality of life. However, you may need to try several drugs before finding the best one for you.

Whether you take antidepressants for the rest of your life is a decision best made between you and your doctor or mental healthcare provider. Treating depression is a balancing act and, together, you’ll need to weigh the good against the bad and decide the right plan for your overall health.

So do antidepressants work? Antidepressants are not only effective, they are considered a first-line treatment for moderate to severe depression.

However, other treatments can be helpful and many people find it particularly effective to take depression medication in conjunction with psychotherapy. If you have symptoms of depression, talk to your doctor about which treatments might work best for you.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

The Best Online Help Resources for Depression

6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Merck Manual.Neurotransmission.Cipriani A, Furukawa TA, Salanti G, et al.Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 21 antidepressant drugs for the acute treatment of adults with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.The Lancet. 2018;391(10128):1357-1366. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32802-7Colman I, Zeng Y, Ataullahjan A, Senthilselvan A, Patten SB.The association between antidepressant use and depression eight years later: A national cohort study.J Psychiatr Res. 2011;45(8): doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.02.001Berwian IM, Walter H, Seifritz E, Huys QJ.Predicting relapse after antidepressant withdrawal - a systematic review.Psychol Med. 2017;47(3):426-437. doi:10.1017/S0033291716002580Blier P, Keller MB, Pollack MH, Thase ME, Zajecka JM, Dunner DL.Preventing recurrent depression: Long-term treatment for major depressive disorder.J Clin Psychiatry. 2007;68(3):e06.Anxiety & Depression Association of America.Clinical practice review for major depressive disorder.Additional ReadingFournier JC, DeRubeis RJ, Hollon SD, et al.Antidepressant drug effects and depression severity: A patient-level meta-analysis.JAMA. 2010 Jan;303(1):47-53. doi:10.1001/jama.2009.1943

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Merck Manual.Neurotransmission.Cipriani A, Furukawa TA, Salanti G, et al.Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 21 antidepressant drugs for the acute treatment of adults with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.The Lancet. 2018;391(10128):1357-1366. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32802-7Colman I, Zeng Y, Ataullahjan A, Senthilselvan A, Patten SB.The association between antidepressant use and depression eight years later: A national cohort study.J Psychiatr Res. 2011;45(8): doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.02.001Berwian IM, Walter H, Seifritz E, Huys QJ.Predicting relapse after antidepressant withdrawal - a systematic review.Psychol Med. 2017;47(3):426-437. doi:10.1017/S0033291716002580Blier P, Keller MB, Pollack MH, Thase ME, Zajecka JM, Dunner DL.Preventing recurrent depression: Long-term treatment for major depressive disorder.J Clin Psychiatry. 2007;68(3):e06.Anxiety & Depression Association of America.Clinical practice review for major depressive disorder.Additional ReadingFournier JC, DeRubeis RJ, Hollon SD, et al.Antidepressant drug effects and depression severity: A patient-level meta-analysis.JAMA. 2010 Jan;303(1):47-53. doi:10.1001/jama.2009.1943

Merck Manual.Neurotransmission.Cipriani A, Furukawa TA, Salanti G, et al.Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 21 antidepressant drugs for the acute treatment of adults with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.The Lancet. 2018;391(10128):1357-1366. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32802-7Colman I, Zeng Y, Ataullahjan A, Senthilselvan A, Patten SB.The association between antidepressant use and depression eight years later: A national cohort study.J Psychiatr Res. 2011;45(8): doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.02.001Berwian IM, Walter H, Seifritz E, Huys QJ.Predicting relapse after antidepressant withdrawal - a systematic review.Psychol Med. 2017;47(3):426-437. doi:10.1017/S0033291716002580Blier P, Keller MB, Pollack MH, Thase ME, Zajecka JM, Dunner DL.Preventing recurrent depression: Long-term treatment for major depressive disorder.J Clin Psychiatry. 2007;68(3):e06.Anxiety & Depression Association of America.Clinical practice review for major depressive disorder.

Merck Manual.Neurotransmission.

Cipriani A, Furukawa TA, Salanti G, et al.Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 21 antidepressant drugs for the acute treatment of adults with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.The Lancet. 2018;391(10128):1357-1366. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32802-7

Colman I, Zeng Y, Ataullahjan A, Senthilselvan A, Patten SB.The association between antidepressant use and depression eight years later: A national cohort study.J Psychiatr Res. 2011;45(8): doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.02.001

Berwian IM, Walter H, Seifritz E, Huys QJ.Predicting relapse after antidepressant withdrawal - a systematic review.Psychol Med. 2017;47(3):426-437. doi:10.1017/S0033291716002580

Blier P, Keller MB, Pollack MH, Thase ME, Zajecka JM, Dunner DL.Preventing recurrent depression: Long-term treatment for major depressive disorder.J Clin Psychiatry. 2007;68(3):e06.

Anxiety & Depression Association of America.Clinical practice review for major depressive disorder.

Fournier JC, DeRubeis RJ, Hollon SD, et al.Antidepressant drug effects and depression severity: A patient-level meta-analysis.JAMA. 2010 Jan;303(1):47-53. doi:10.1001/jama.2009.1943

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