Some people struggle with symptoms of major depressive disorder for months or years before seeking treatment. As a result, they may be very eager to see results when starting medication for depression.
Some people may see improvements within a few days, but others may need to wait several weeks to know if the medication is working, according to Jacques Ambrose, MD, MPH, FAPA, Psychiatrist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
Jacques Ambrose, MD, MPH, FAPA, is a Psychiatrist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
References
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). APA dictionary of psychology: Inpatient.
Chand, S. P., et al. (2023). Depression. StatPearls.
National Institute of Mental Health. (2023). Depression.
Why trust our experts?
Written by:
Lauren Smith, MALauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.
Reviewed by:
Sanjai Sinha, MDSanjai Sinha, MD, is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of experience. He specializes in internal medicine.
