Why are the current treatments for depression not effective enough? How can a what-fits-who approach help solve this problem? And can the already overwhelmed mental health sector actually provide more customized treatments?

Welcome back to In a Nutshell – a podcast of Vox in which we explore everything you never knew you needed to know more about. We kick off the second season by taking a critical look at the current depression treatments. Together with Ellen Driessen, we discuss the role the match between a patient and a therapist plays, how to make the mental health sector more sustainable, and we get some tips on what to do when experiencing depression.

Ellen is an assistant professor at Radboud University’s Department of Clinical Psychology and a licensed mental health care psychologist at Pro Persona’s Depression Expertise Centre. Currently, Ellen also leads an international research team that aims to create a tool to help select the optimal treatments for people with depression based on their personal characteristics.

Do you want to know more about depression and its treatments? Follow Ellen's suggestions and visit the following websites: For more information on antidepressants, click ⁠here⁠. For more information on depression, follow ⁠this link⁠. And, here you can visit the website of the ⁠Depression Association⁠.

⁠Here ⁠you find a guide to mental healthcare in the Netherlands if you want to know where to turn to.

Are you thinking about suicide? Take it seriously and don't try to deal with it alone. Reach out to ⁠113 suicide prevention.⁠ Phone number: +31 800 0113; Chat: ⁠https://www.113.nl/chatten⁠.

Edit: Jara Majerus

Cover: Antonia Leise