Prevention is key to responding to the challenge of depression – and a preventive approach should be built into the design of all services. Prevention and early intervention are essential, particularly among younger people and those harder to reach through traditional medical services. Greater clarity about what early intervention means in practice is needed, however, to get more people into appropriate care.

Prevention of suicide is a key goal in depression care. Suicide can have multiple causes, therefore a cross-sectoral approach to suicide prevention is key. This needs to be reflected in joint government department responsibility and accountability.

The legacy of discrimination around mental health means that people are generally averse to the term ‘mental illness’ and may be disinclined to seek care. Better integration of mental health services within other services may help reach more people. Using a different term, such as ‘wellbeing’, to denote mental health services may also help remove some of the associated stigma.

Digital health tools can help improve treatment choices for people and encourage them to take greater control of their care. However, these tools can meet resistance from some patients and also from health professionals who may not know how to integrate them into their treatment approach. Better training of health professionals and therapists is needed to facilitate blended care, which combines traditional and digital services.

Using language based on people’s experiences of care can be an important therapeutic tool. Terms such as ‘recovery’ are critical to convey a sense of hope and clarify treatment goals. Professionals working with people with depression should be encouraged to use a common language that is easy to understand by everybody and speaks to the experience of those being helped.

Involving service users and carers in service and policy development will help ensure services work for the people who use them. Services should also draw on the strengths and capabilities of those who have overcome mental health challenges to empower others, for example through peer support.

Depression can affect the whole family – therefore, treatment should focus on the whole family, not just the person affected. Services that support carers are particularly important to protect their health and wellbeing.

Depression is increasing in young people at an alarming rate. We need to help young people use their own resources and skills to become more resilient and cope better with pressure. Digital tools can break through the isolation of young people battling depression and encourage them to seek help.

Adults spend most of their life in the workplace and depression is one of the leading causes of low productivity. More workplace education programmes are needed to promote a positive workplace culture, help management recognise the signs of depression and support people who are managing depression or returning to work after taking time off.

Lack of real-world data is a key gap in depression. We need greater investment in real-world data on the epidemiology of depression, service use and the impact of interventions and services if we are to better understand existing care gaps and implement sustainable change.