How will I know if my treatment for depression is working?

As people recover from depression, the first symptoms that usually improve are problems with sleeping and loss of appetite (or excessive appetite). After that, energy and interest in activities improve, as do the ability to think clearly and to function more productively. The last symptom to improve is the feeling of being depressed and discouraged, which can happen many weeks after treatment has begun. Although this same sequence of improvements may not be what everyone goes through, it is common.

You may be the last to recognize when the treatment is helping. Although others may see you getting better and while you may notice that you are able to function better, you may continue to feel depressed. This lingering feeling of depression may interfere with your ability to believe you are getting better, so it is important to stick with your treatment even when you have doubts about its effectiveness.

The article is one of a series of articles about depression by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). From Guidelines for Adolescent Depression in Primary Care (GLAD-PC) ToolKit (Zucherbrot, Ed) , http://www.kidsmentalhealth.org/GLAD-PC.html