There Is Light in the Darkness and We Can Help You Find It

Outstanding Care, Exceptional Outcomes

McLean Hospital offers comprehensive mental health services to help children and adults living with depression. We utilize proven treatment models informed by cutting-edge research conducted at McLean and around the world. By incorporating various approaches, treatment can be customized for each individual to help ensure recovery.

McLean’s depression care incorporates individual, group, and family therapy, behavioral therapies, diagnostic assessment, consultation services, tailored treatment plans, and medication consultation. We are dedicated to providing robust patient and family education and support, including informational materials, support groups, and assistance with community resources.

Our inpatient programs offer a safe and secure environment for patients in need of immediate acute care, while our residential, day, and outpatient programs focus on providing skills for patients to manage their conditions on their own.

Treatment That Fits Your Needs

For many people, depression is not the only mental health issue they are struggling with. Many times, depression occurs along with another diagnosis, such as substance addiction, borderline personality disorder, or anxiety.

If you have coexisting conditions, you need support to understand and cope with all of the symptoms you are experiencing. At McLean, we specialize in making sure individuals have the tools they need to manage their symptoms.

Each patient works with a treatment team that creates a tailored care plan that addresses unique needs and goals.

Our approach to depression treatment includes robust assessment and attention to factors such as medical issues and home/work life. This ensures that we are working with you on solutions that will help you identify the underlying causes of your depression and address all of your symptoms together. At the same time, we help you build skills to set you on the path to recovery.

Behavioral therapies teach patients to connect their thoughts and actions to learn to think and behave differently and have been proven to be effective to help patients with mood disorders.

McLean employs a variety of these skill-based therapies, such as cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT):

• CBT shows people how to recognize unhelpful ways of thinking. It also teaches individuals problem-solving and coping skills to use in complex situations. Together, this often results in increased confidence and ability to manage situations and difficult symptoms.
• DBT uses a combination of cognitive behavioral techniques and mindfulness principles to help people gain better control over their actions and to allow for a different way of managing intense feelings.
• ACT promotes a willingness to accept and address—rather than avoid—difficult thoughts and emotions. This therapy can also be useful to reduce barriers to other forms of treatment.

Sometimes, medication or other interventions are needed to properly care for your symptoms. We work with you to understand your options and find the care that will provide you relief.

Sought-After Specialty Treatments

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Ketamine infusions. What do these treatments have in common? They are scientifically proven treatments that many patients credit with changing the course of their disorder.

These “neurotherapeutic” therapies target different parts of the brain and often have success with treatment-resistant depression.

Though ECT especially has a fair amount of stigma associated with its use, it is increasingly used to help patients who do not find relief with other methods.

McLean is home to services that specialize in ECT, TMS, and ketamine therapies. Our ECT Service is one of the largest and best in the country and delivers over 10,000 treatments per year.

Learn more about why ECT shouldn’t be a last resort treatment.

Suicide Prevention

An increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors often comes with severe depression.

Talking about suicide is the best way to prevent it.

Although it is not possible to predict suicide with any certainty, our best tool is recognition of the signs that many people exhibit when contemplating suicide. The following three behaviors should prompt you to seek immediate help for yourself or a loved one:

• Talking about wanting to die or to kill oneself
• Looking for a way to kill oneself, such as searching online or obtaining a gun
• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live

If you or someone you know needs help, you do not need to struggle alone. Find suicide prevention resources now.

Reasons To Trust McLean With Your Care

• Consistently ranked a Best Hospital by U.S. News & World Report
• Top-quality patient care, informed by the latest research
• Staff are joint-appointed as members of the teaching faculty at Harvard Medical School
• McLean is accredited by The Joint Commission, the national governing body for hospitals who annually ensure McLean meets their high standards
• McLean is a member of Mass General Brigham, giving patients access to untold medical consultation and other key resources
• Ongoing quality efforts, like gathering patient satisfaction responses and tracking treatment outcomes, ensuring constant improvement in patient care