It s probably due to a range of factors. I tend to think a lot of it is down to adversity and social circumstances, he said. We find lots of people with depression have had an adverse life event, such as bereavement or redundancy, says Patricia White. But antidepressants work for over 75 per cent of people. They generally block off receptors in the brain so that people with depression can reuptake serotonin at the same speed as everyone else.
Some people don t like the idea of taking drugs that interfere with chemicals in the brain.
Even without registered medicine status, doctors may feel it s appropriate to suggest St John s wort as a first line drug for mild and moderate depression. But you would have to treat it like a new drug and be rather careful, especially as it is not subject to the normal surveillance system for drug side effects, says Bebbington.