Depression and low mood (young people)

Some found it easy to decide to start taking an antidepressant and had pushed for it themselves. These people said they wanted to try anything to help them get better. They also felt that being prescribed medication acknowledged their experience of depression and that they were taken seriously. Others said they’d been very “cynical” about medication generally, and about starting on antidepressants, but that they’d been happy about the choice in the end.

Young people’s experiences of their doctors’ approach to prescribing medication varied a lot. Whereas some young people felt antidepressants were offered to them too easily, others had struggled to get a prescription. A couple of people said their doctors had been “reluctant” or “unkeen” to prescribe; one woman said without an official depression diagnosis she couldn't get medication although she’d wanted to. A couple of young people had never been offered medication though they had wanted to try one.

Many also emphasised that antidepressants were never “a quick fix” or “a magical cure” that would work overnight - often finding the right antidepressant and the right dose took a long time. As one woman said;

“I didn’t think of it [medication] as a magic overnight thing, but more a, “here’s the light at the end of the tunnel, and for once it’s not a freight train.”

Experiences of taking antidepressants
Many people had very positive experiences of taking antidepressants. They described them as “the best thing I’ve ever done”, “really helpful” and the thing which had helped “boost” them over the worst. The benefits people described of antidepressants included helping to “take the edge off” the biggest lows, to “function better”, giving “motivation” to seek other help, especially talking treatments and “stabilising” moods. Some also described how medication had helped suppress feelings of self-harm and suicidal thoughts and helped stop or ease off panic attacks.

Young people’s experiences of antidepressants were closely linked to their expectations of how the medication could help them. Those who saw medication as helping them to get back on their feet, get through the worst and enable them to function better, seemed more satisfied than those who hoped the medication would make them “feel happy” or who perhaps struggled with often a long process of finding the right medication.

We also spoke to several people who had negative experiences of taking antidepressants. Some had felt worse off when taking antidepressants (see more below on side effects), particularly when their moods had got worse after taking them; others said medication had made no difference to how they felt or to their symptoms. A few people also questioned the logic and function of medication which made no sense to them. One woman asked, “Why would I take a tablet to control my thoughts?”

For some, the negative experience of medication was linked to their GP’s or consultant’s approach. One woman said the success of antidepressants as a treatment depends heavily on the doctor’s approach and knowledge level. One man said he’d be happy taking medication if he knew it was a carefully thought through decision in his specific situation, not just “the easy” option. A couple of women felt that prescribing a medicine was a form of control by the doctor. Rather than involving young people in care decisions, their doctors had just told them what to do. Many said that antidepressants were the first and only form of help they were offered' they had been refused counselling or put on long waiting lists for it.

Many found the combination of medication and counselling most successful. For them it had been the “double headed attack” which had worked. One woman compared it to fixing a broken leg;