Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) can be useful in treating depression but have the potential for serious side effects and interactions with other medicines, plus certain foods and drinks.
mental health
Serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors for depression
Venlafaxine, duloxetine and desvenlafaxine are medicines called serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). They are used to treat depression and some anxiety disorders and nerve pain.
St John’s wort
St John's wort is a herb used as a complementary medicine, often in the treatment of depression. Find out about its uses, side effects and interactions.
Tricyclic antidepressants
Tricyclic antidepressants (also called tricyclics or TCAs) are named for their chemical structure (3 rings). They can be used to treat depression, anxiety disorders and chronic pain.
Video: Antidepressants work, but some better than others
A large analysis has found 21 different antidepressants to be better than a placebo (dummy treatment), however side-effects meant they were stopped more often than placebo.
Depression symptoms can be improved by diet
Improving diet may be one step in reducing symptoms for people with depression
Early treatment can help anxiety
Researchers investigated the effectiveness of psychological and educational interventions for preventing anxiety and found a modest benefit from both.
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder (sometimes called manic-depression) is an illness, a medical condition.
Social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) causes people to feel anxious at the prospect of everyday social interactions and causes symptoms such as trembling and sweating.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for depression
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are medicines used to treat depression and anxiety. In fact, they are the most commonly prescribed type of antidepressant medicine in Australia.
