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• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 55-64 >> Interview 21 >> Says that discussion forums on the Internet can be very informative as well as supportive for people with depression.

Effective treatments include lithium (400mg/day), day care centre activities (e.g. creative activities), distracting herself from depression, counselling, diet changes and Internet research.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 40-54 >> Interview 19 >> She felt so bad and so cut off from everyone in her family that she felt she was inside a very thick balloon, and contemplated suicide.

Has managed to find joy in life through approaches including medication (currently venlafaxine 150mg & chlorpromazine 25mg), counselling, partner support, Christianity and voluntary work (which led to rewarding employment).

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 30-39 >> Interview 05 >> Found a suicide discussion group, which exposed him to extremely depressed and suicidal people at a time he was also suicidal, but he gained comfort f

Has very good care from his GP. Medication was somewhat effective. He recently stopped taking Lithium and Effexor.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 29 and under >> Interview 18 >> Having taken the antidepressant 'Seroxat' she says could make better sense of her experience of attempting suicide after visiting the BBC Panorama web

Became depressed while looking after a friend with depression. Believes Seroxat contributed to her suicide attempt. With counselling and new medication (venlafaxine 150mg/day) she is getting better.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 30-39 >> Interview 36 >> When he was suicidal, he looked at everything in terms of suicide, and he felt angry he was not allowed to die, but he has never been that low again.

Useful approaches include medication, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, therapy, hospitalisation, self-help groups. Currently takes Lithium (600mg/day) and citalopram (Cipramil) 20mg/day.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 55-64 >> Interview 24 >> Feels that God has sustained her through depression and not let her suffer too much, despite periods of severe depression.

Helpful approaches have included medication, self-help books and tapes, and personal development courses. Received long term therapy on the NHS. Recently discovered she had dyslexia, explaining many of her difficulties.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 29 and under >> Interview 15 >> As a 14 year old her suicide attempt frightened her enough to visit her GP, who diagnosed depression.

With the help of a caring GP, her counsellor, private hospital treatment, Efexor (150mg/day) and self-help books, she was feeling better and is keen to continue her healing and help others. She has written a book: Saving Samantha: A Young Woman's Escape from Childhood Hell (isbn 1401910300) about her experiences.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 40-54 >> Interview 19 >> Explains how even though she did not know why she suffered at the time, she now feels God wanted her to experience depression so she could empathise

Has managed to find joy in life through approaches including medication (currently venlafaxine 150mg & chlorpromazine 25mg), counselling, partner support, Christianity and voluntary work (which led to rewarding employment).

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 40-54 >> Interview 06 >> Believes she has had depression for many years but was able to normalise it, and only considered talking to her GP after she had become suicidal.

Has responded very well to Prozac (currently 20 mg) and cognitive behavioural therapy, and feels she should be on an antidepressant permanently to correct a chemical imbalance.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 40-54 >> Interview 22 >> Her friend has educated herself about depression and is accepting, and so she can talk to her about her depression and feelings of suicide.

Is now managed by a skilled team in the NHS, which includes long-term therapy. Therapy is addressing her distorted thinking patterns and difficult past. She now understands she can move beyond depression.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 30-39 >> Interview 34 >> Says it is not wrong to think about suicide. Thinking of suicide - and talking about it to a friend - comforts her and allows her to think about livin

Has had 3 bouts of depression since 1998 (including a suicide attempt). Main helpful approaches include therapy, Efexor (75mg/day), alternative therapies and writing in a diary.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 30-39 >> Interview 09 >> A social worker visited his home and helped his father to better understand depression, as well as helping him to talk issues through.

Since 1995 has undergone a recovery which has involved therapy (systemic consultation) as well as learning social skills, engaging in enjoyable activities, and involvement in self-help groups.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 40-54 >> Interview 06 >> She told her friend about a suicide attempt, and her friend took her straight to her GP for help.

Has responded very well to Prozac (currently 20 mg) and cognitive behavioural therapy, and feels she should be on an antidepressant permanently to correct a chemical imbalance.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 29 and under >> Interview 18 >> Believes Seroxat contributed to her suicide attempt. With counselling and new medication (venlafaxine 150mg/day) she was getting better. (Played by an

Became depressed while looking after a friend with depression. Believes Seroxat contributed to her suicide attempt. With counselling and new medication (venlafaxine 150mg/day) she is getting better.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 30-39 >> Interview 35 >> After having mania and being released from hospital she had debts and became depressed, and so could not work, even though she needed to pay off debts

Multiple severe bouts requiring hospitalisation at times. Most helpful approaches include medication (currently depacote 1000mg/day, Efexor 75mg/day), fish oils, talking therapies, social support and cranio-sacral massage.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 40-54 >> Interview 23 >> He was bullied in secondary school and felt school was a nightmare. He sometimes thought of suicide.

While avoiding medication, helpful approaches have included counselling, self-help books and alternative therapies (e.g. re-birthing). These approaches have helped reduce negative thinking and anxiety.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 40-54 >> Interview 07 >> An English acquaintance was surprised he was having psychoanalysis, but in Brazil seeing a therapist and talking about feelings is commonplace.

Used a raft of strategies to recover including time off work, attending a support group, counselling, physical exercise, interaction with nature and pets, and spiritual healing.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 30-39 >> Interview 35 >> Her tutor had to be told about her suicide attempt and was sympathetic - many students had mental health problems.

Multiple severe bouts requiring hospitalisation at times. Most helpful approaches include medication (currently depacote 1000mg/day, Efexor 75mg/day), fish oils, talking therapies, social support and cranio-sacral massage.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 55-64 >> Interview 28 >> Felt she had to present 'dramatically' in order to get into hospital.

Multiple severe bouts of depression/ 'euphoria', most recently in 95. Has been hospitalised and had Electroconvulsive Therapy. Most helpful approaches include the drug venlafaxine (75mg/day), music, poetry and spiritual healing.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 30-39 >> Interview 05 >> Explains how he became suicidal while on antidepressant medication. (Played by an actor)

Has very good care from his GP. Medication was somewhat effective. He recently stopped taking Lithium and Effexor.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 30-39 >> Interview 08 >> Explains that while some staff do care and you can feel safe in NHS hospitals, staff can appear disengaged. (Played by an actor)

With the ongoing care of her GP and ongoing counselling with a skilled practitioner, she has been in recovery since early 2003. Not currently on medication.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 65+ >> Interview 01 >> Describes a suicide attempt where he was not met by empathy by hospital staff.

Treatments have included ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy), hospitalisation, talking therapies, lithium and medication. He was on a preventative, low dose of Zoloft (sertraline 100mg/day) due to his wife's death.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 29 and under >> Interview 18 >> Describes a suicide attempt where the surgeon was keen for her to tell at least one parent about the true reason she was in hospital.

Became depressed while looking after a friend with depression. Believes Seroxat contributed to her suicide attempt. With counselling and new medication (venlafaxine 150mg/day) she is getting better.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 55-64 >> Interview 12 >> She realised that a counsellor was not skilled enough to recognise her needs, including her suicidal impulses.

Helpful approaches include support from patients in hospital, counselling and medication (Lofepramine). She understands depression as a passing phase and feels she is well past the worst of it.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 40-54 >> Interview 30 >> Though her friends did well on lithium, she became suicidal and very paranoid before she stopped the lithium.

Has supportive health professionals. She reacted badly to lithium, and is now doing much better on her current medication (currently Quetiapine 200mg/day, Amitriptyline 50mg, Carbamazepine 200mg, Atenolol 25 mg, Raberazole 20mg).

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 30-39 >> Interview 05 >> Had a long wait to see a psychiatrist while suicidal, and so the psychiatrist's concern about his immediate wellbeing seemed too little, too late.

Has very good care from his GP. Medication was somewhat effective. He recently stopped taking Lithium and Effexor.