Here, you can find any of the interviews on this site.
Colette first experienced depression as a teenager but didn't seek help from her GP until she left home at age 19. Her GP prescribed fluoxetine. She took this for a short while, but did not find it helpful. She has tried a several antidepressants at different times but has decided not to take them again and prefers to use other strategies like exercise and diet to improve her mood.
Colette is single and works as an emergency care assistant. Ethnic background: White British
Flora was first diagnosed with depression when she was 21. Since that time she has tried a number of different SSRI antidepressants but had problems tolerating side effects and did not find them helpful. After a severe crisis she spent a short while in hospital. She currently takes tranylcypromine, an MAOI antidepressant and has found it to be effective, and also takes an antipsychotic medicine to help relieve anxiety.
Flora lives with her partner and son. She works in the field of social care but took a career break when she was unwell. She is hoping to start working...
Simon has experienced repeated depressive bouts since he was a teenager. He tried several different antidepressants before he found one that worked best for him. He was initially a bit erratic about taking them, and felt ambivalent about whether or not they were useful, but more recently has begun to take them regularly. He feels that they keep his mood stable and help him cope more easily with life.
Simon is married and has two young children. He is a GP who specialises in mental health issues, and also works as an academic and clinical teacher/researcher. Ethnic background: White...
Tim was diagnosed with depression two years ago. He had been feeling overwhelmed about work, and one day things reached a point where he felt he couldn't function any more. He was offered CBT and decided to try that before thinking about taking antidepressants. Although it was of some help, he went back to see the GP and was prescribed sertraline. Tim later had psychotherapy, which helped him gain a sense of self awareness and understanding. He recently stopped taking antidepressants.
Tim works as a Policy Advisor. He is single. Ethnic background: White British
Catherine first experienced depression in her last year of secondary school and for a number of years had severe episodes of depression. She spent some time in hospital when she was younger as an inpatient. She has tried a number of different antidepressants, some of which were ineffective or had unwelcome side effects. She currently takes takes Prozac (fluoxetine) and finds that it helps to keep her mind balanced and more stable. Catherine also has a physical condition called fibromyalgia which causes chronic pain, and takes a number of other medications to help with this.
Catherine is married and works as an E-health Officer in a Mental Health setting. Ethnic background: White British
Clare has struggled with depression at several points in her life and has taken antidepressants to help stabilise her mood. Nowadays she takes citalopram regularly as a preventative measure as she recognises that her coping mechanisms aren't always very robust.
Clare is married and has three adult children. She works in local government. Ethnic background: White Irish
Victoria first experienced depression when she was a teenager. At university she experienced some difficulties coping, and her GP prescribed citalopram. She only took it for a few months, but has since experienced another episode of depression and now takes citalopram regularly. Victoria was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in her early 20's and the symptoms and restrictions that it places on her life have contributed to her feelings. She also takes regular medicines for the Crohn's disease.
Victoria is single and works as a website coordinator. Ethnic background: White British
Hannah experienced a severe episode of depression a few years ago. Her GP prescribed antidepressants but she experienced severe nausea during the time she took them, and they did not seem to help improve her mood. After some distressing events she was referred to the community mental health team and admitted to hospital. Eventually after trying different antidepressants and doses she decided to discontinue the treatment they offered her.
Hannah is single and works in IT. Ethnic background: White British
Stuart has experienced depression since his teenage years but it wasn't until he was in his 30's that he sought help from the GP following a breakdown. He has tried a number of different antidepressants, and currently takes citalopram as a preventative measure. He feels that medication is helpful in combination with other treatments such as CBT therapy and mindfulness.
Stuart is married and works part time as a teacher. He is also involved in voluntary activities to promote positive information about mental health. Ethnic Background: White British
Gerry feels he has had a tendency towards depression since childhood, but had always managed his life well until an event that happened to him when he was 29 left him feeling anxious and depressed. He struggled for a few months but eventually realised that he needed to seek help. Since then he has taken sertraline and had Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). He feels that it's the combination of therapy and antidepressants that have enabled him to recover.
Gerry is single and works as a researcher. Ethnic background: White British
