How long it takes for depression to be cured by taking medication is highly dependent on the patient’s urgency of onset, the severity of the condition, the choice of medication and the length of treatment, and there are individual differences. On average, depression medication starts to take effect in 2-4 weeks, and symptoms start to improve or disappear in 6-8 weeks, and some people may need about 12 weeks for their symptoms to improve. This phase is unstable and prone to fluctuations, so the same dose of medication needs to be maintained for at least 4-6 months for a consolidation period. If the symptoms completely disappear and the condition is stable after the consolidation period, clinical cure can be achieved by taking the medication for 2-3 years of maintenance treatment to reduce relapse. In addition to taking medication on time, depression patients should cooperate with psychological counseling, ensure sufficient sleep and reasonable diet, which can help patients’ prognosis and even shorten the course of treatment.