What is Depression.com.au and who is it for?

Updated

Depression.com.au is a free community information service about depression and antidepressants, written by psychiatrist Dr. David Horgan. It is aimed at people in Australia who are living with depression, and at the people supporting them. The site explains symptoms and medication in plain language, and points readers toward assessment, counselling and therapy choices. One important caveat: the site itself notes that Dr. Horgan has retired and is no longer on the register of medical practitioners, so the content should be treated as general information rather than current clinical advice from a practising doctor.

What the site covers

The homepage frames depression alongside anxiety, crying, tiredness and poor concentration, and describes it as a common but often hidden illness. Its stated content areas are:

  • Depression symptoms — what depression looks like, including trouble concentrating while reading or watching TV, crying easily, and feeling very tired.
  • Antidepressants and medication — the site's own description says it provides "free information about antidepressants and depression symptoms explained."
  • Assessment and treatment pathways — the site says psychologists on the site can assist with assessment, counselling, and choosing the best therapy.

The framing is deliberately normalising. Depression is compared to diabetes or asthma — an illness that can happen to anyone, not a personal failing.

Who it is for

The site names two audiences directly:

  1. People with depression — described as sufferers who may feel isolated or blame themselves.
  2. Supporters — friends, family or others helping someone with the illness.

It also gives a scale for how common this is: depression "will affect 20% of Australians." If you are trying to understand your own symptoms, or you want to support someone else and don't know where to start, that is the intended use.

What the site says about severity

The content draws a distinction worth knowing before you rely on any self-help resource:

  • Mild illness — the site says this "settle[s] quickly with your own efforts."
  • More severe illness — described as something you have "little or no ability to fight without professional help and medication."

The site's own advice is to see a GP "before it digs in," and it stresses that stress, viruses and childbirth can trigger the illness even in people who never had it before. It also states plainly that depression is "not a sign of weakness."

Reliability: what to weigh

Factor What the site states
Author Dr. David Horgan, Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Author status Retired; no longer on the register of medical practitioners
Cost Described as a "Free Community Service"
Language / audience English, Australian context (20% of Australians figure)
Scope General information on symptoms and antidepressants, plus referral to psychologists on the site

The author's retirement matters for how you use the site. The explanations may still be useful for understanding what depression and antidepressants involve, but they are not a substitute for a current assessment. For diagnosis, medication decisions, or anything specific to your situation, the site's own recommendation applies: start with your GP.

How to use it sensibly

  • Read the symptom and medication sections if you want plain-language background before an appointment.
  • Treat the content as a starting point for a conversation with a GP or psychologist, not as a diagnosis.
  • If you are supporting someone else, the site's "you are not alone" framing may help you both feel less isolated.
  • Check whether any linked services are still active, given the site's age and the author's retirement.