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Antidepressants: the straightforward version
If you or someone else is in danger, call 999 or go to A&E. If you need urgent mental-health help but it is not an emergency, use NHS 111 online or call 111 and select the mental-health option.
Antidepressants are medicines used for depression and several other conditions.
What you need to know
Antidepressants are medicines used for depression and several other conditions. SSRIs are the most widely used type. NHS guidance says they commonly take 1 to 2 weeks to start having an effect and can take up to 8 weeks to work fully. Choice and follow-up should be individual.
Make it a conversation, not a test
You are allowed to ask questions, explain what matters to you and say when something is not helping. Mental-health care should be based on your needs, circumstances and appropriate clinical assessment.
Keep going
Getting proper help · Talking to your GP · NHS Talking Therapies
Sources & further reading
- NHS — mental health treatments
- NHS — talking therapies
- NHS — antidepressants
- NICE — depression in adults
Educational information only. Treatment should be based on an individual assessment with an appropriate healthcare professional.