The Truth About Combining Medication and Lifestyle Changes for Depression

Introduction

When you’re navigating depression, it's tempting to look for a “single switch” — a pill that changes everything. However, the truth is more nuanced. Medication can play a vital role, but when used in isolation, it sometimes falls short of full recovery. At Favor Mental Health we emphasise that combining medication with deliberate lifestyle changes offers far better chances of sustained improvement. In this article we’ll explore: why this combined approach matters, what evidence supports it, how you can implement it, and how we guide you through it.

Young person sits pensively on bed in a sunlit room, surrounded by ghostly images. A fallen lamp and bright window view add to serene yet reflective mood. Illustrating depression

Why Medication Alone Isn’t Always Enough

• Medication addresses one key domain: neurochemical regulation (serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine etc). That’s important, but depression is rarely purely a “chemical imbalance” in isolation — it also involves sleep, activity levels, cognition, life structure, nutrition, relationships and meaning.

• Meta-analyses show that treatment combining medication plus another modality (typically psychotherapy) produces better outcomes than medication alone. For example, a meta-analysis found that combined pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy had a significantly larger effect size than pharmacotherapy alone in adult depression. (PubMed)

• Even beyond therapy, lifestyle modifications (exercise, diet, sleep hygiene, social connection) contribute to mood regulation and resilience. For example, research on exercise and lifestyle shows positive outcomes for depressive symptoms.

• In practice we see clients whose mood improves partially with medication but remains “stuck”—often because lifestyle domains haven’t been addressed. That’s why a combined plan is more than just additive: it’s synergistic.

What the Evidence Says — A Deeper Look

Here are key findings you can reference (and your clients will benefit from knowing) to understand why we advocate this combined approach.

• The meta-analysis of 52 studies comparing medication alone vs medication + psychotherapy found an effect size (Hedges’ g) ≈ 0.43 in favour of the combination — meaning clinically meaningful benefit.

• Another meta-analysis found that treatment combining psychotherapy with antidepressants had superior long-term outcomes (6 months + follow-up) compared to antidepressant alone in patients with major depression (OR ≈ 2.93) in the maintenance phase.

• Regarding lifestyle interventions: a recent systematic review of aerobic + resistance training found significant improvements in depressive symptoms, particularly in moderate depression, and across short-, medium- and long-term durations.

• Practical guides emphasise the “7 benefits of combining antidepressants with lifestyle changes” — e.g., improved symptom relief, physical health enhancement, boosted energy, better stress-management, etc.

Bottom line: The evidence supports that medication + lifestyle change (and ideally psychotherapy) yields the best outcomes — greater reduction in symptoms, higher likelihood of remission, better functional recovery, and reduced relapse risk.

How to Implement the Combined Approach — A Practical Guide

Here’s how you (or your clients) can put this into action, and how Favor Mental Health supports you.

1. Medication as Foundational Support

• First, if you have a diagnosis of major depression (or a depressive component), medication may be recommended—to stabilise mood, improve sleep/energy, reduce biological vulnerability.

• It’s crucial to understand: medication isn’t “the whole story.” It buys you capacity to engage in other active recovery work.

• At Favor we ensure clear communication: what the medication is for, how long to monitor, what functional goals are intended, what side-effects to watch.

2. Concurrent Lifestyle Change Plan

While medication stabilises, lifestyle changes build the habit and resilience:

• Exercise / physical activity: e.g., aerobic + resistance training. The review found stronger effects when adherence is good and over medium time-frames (9-24 weeks).

• Sleep hygiene & structure: Depression disrupts sleep; improving sleep boosts mood and supports neurochemical regulation.

• Nutrition / diet: While still emerging, evidence links dietary patterns (e.g., Mediterranean-style diet) with mood outcomes.

• Social connection & meaningful activity: Engagement, purpose and reducing isolation are critical.

• Stress-management / cognitive/behavioural skills: These include mindfulness, behavioural activation (doing things even when you don’t feel like it), restructuring life to reduce passive coping.

3. Integration and Monitoring

• We at Favor create an integrated treatment roadmap: medication plan + lifestyle change plan + therapy plan (if indicated).

• We set functional metrics: “Sleep 6 h/night for 5 days”, “Exercise 30 min × 3 times/week”, “Attend one social activity each week”, “Track mood rating daily”.

• We schedule review check-ins: Are you seeing incremental change? If not, we explore barriers (medication not optimal? lifestyle changes not adhered? other medical issues?).

• We emphasise adherence: Medication only works if taken; lifestyle changes only work if maintained. We support your adherence with tracking tools, coaching and check-ins.

4. Tailoring to Context

• Because you’re working in Lagos/Nigeria (and serving that or similar context), we factor in environmental, cultural, social and resource-factors: local diet, accessibility of exercise options, family/social support, stigma.

• We emphasise culturally-sensitive communication and realistic lifestyle interventions (for example walking groups, community-based activity rather than only gym-based).

• Confidentiality, trust and purpose matter. The plan should align with your life context, not feel like a foreign script.

Common Misconceptions — And The Truths You Should Know

Let’s address common misconceptions and expose the realities.

• “If I take an antidepressant I don’t need to change anything else.”Truth: Medication alone often leaves residual symptoms and risk of relapse is higher. The combination gives you stronger, more durable recovery. Evidence supports this. (NIHR Evidence)

• “Lifestyle changes are optional — the medication will take care of everything.”Truth: While lifestyle modifications may reduce mild symptoms, for moderate-to-severe depression they act as augmenters, not replacements. The meta-analysis shows better outcomes when combined.

• “Changing lifestyle means drastic overhaul only — if I can’t do perfection, it’s worthless.”Truth: Small, sustained changes matter. Evidence shows even moderate exercise, improved sleep or better diet support outcomes. The key is consistency and integration with treatment plan.

• “Once I feel better I can stop everything — medication and lifestyle.”Truth: Sustainable recovery involves maintenance. Lifestyle changes help prevent relapse; medication tapering should be done under supervision. Sustained combination improves long-term outcomes.

Favor Mental Health Can Walk With You

If you’re living with depression—or you’ve started medication but you still feel stuck, flat, disconnected—now is the time to adopt a combined approach. At Favor Mental Health we offer:

• A comprehensive evaluation: review of your diagnosis, medication history, lifestyle factors, functional impact, life context.

• A tailored combined treatment plan: medication management plus lifestyle-change roadmap plus therapy/coaching as needed.

• Ongoing monitoring: we track progress, adjust both medication and lifestyle components, and support you in real-world application.

• Culturally-sensitive, individualized care: we recognise your context, your life story, your goals — not just your symptoms.

Schedule a paid appointment today and let’s design a treatment path that goes beyond “just the pill”. Let’s align your brain chemistry, your habits and your purpose — so you undergo meaningful recovery, not just symptom reduction.

Closing

Depression is not just a “brain chemistry issue” or just a “lifestyle issue”. It’s a systemic disruption affecting mind, body and environment. The most effective recovery comes when we treat it with a holistic strategy — medication to stabilise, lifestyle to fortify, therapy/skills to sustain. At Favor Mental Health we believe your recovery is multi-dimensional, and you deserve a plan that reflects that. Let’s move you from surviving to thriving — together.