Depression
For adults who have tried two or more antidepressants without adequate relief.
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Three conditions, one measured Approach
TMS is not a first-line treatment. It is for adults whose depression, OCD or anxious depression has not responded enough to medication and therapy, and every course starts with a psychiatrist confirming that it fits. Here is who each course is for, what it looks like, and what it costs.
OCD
An emerging option for intrusive thoughts and compulsions, assessed case by case.
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Anxious Depression
When persistent worry and low mood arrive together and feed each other.
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Depression
- No anaesthesia, no sedation, drive yourself home
- Short, regular check-ins through the course so you can see your progress
- Most people who respond notice a shift in weeks two to four
Who it is for
Adults with major depression that has not responded adequately to at least two antidepressant medicines. This is the group TMS was developed for, and the group Medicare rebates it for.
What the course looks like
At least three sessions a week of high-frequency stimulation to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the part of the mood circuit that is underactive in depression. A standard course runs four to six weeks, with each session around twenty minutes. Most people attend five days a week, but the schedule is planned with you so it fits around work, family and travel rather than taking over them.
Cost and Medicare
Medicare and DVA fund an initial course of up to 35 sessions for treatment-resistant depression. If your psychiatrist considers it appropriate, a further 15 sessions can be funded at least four months after the initial course. A referral from your GP or psychiatrist to the treating psychiatrist is needed; we confirm your eligibility at the assessment.
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OCD
- Assessed and prescribed by a psychiatrist, case by case
- Runs alongside medication and therapy, not instead of them
- Progress measured through the course
Who it is for
Adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder who have not had enough relief from medication and cognitive behavioural therapy. TMS for OCD is offered selectively, and your psychiatrist decides at assessment whether it is appropriate for you.
What the course looks like
OCD protocols target a different part of the brain from depression: the circuits involved in intrusive thoughts and the urge to act on them. The protocol, number of sessions and how progress is measured are set by your psychiatrist for your situation, and TMS runs alongside your existing treatment rather than replacing it.
Cost and Medicare
Medicare currently funds TMS for depression only, so an OCD course is self-funded. We give you a clear, written cost before you commit to anything.
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Anxious Depression
- Mood and anxiety both checked regularly through the course
- Same twenty-minute, awake, drive-home sessions
- Medicare-rebated where the depression criteria are met
Who it is for
Adults whose depression comes with prominent, persistent anxiety: the restless, worried, sleep-disrupting kind that makes low mood harder to shift. Most people in this group meet the same criteria as depression.
What the course looks like
Treatment uses the same left prefrontal target as depression, with the protocol and dose set from your own motor threshold reading. Anxiety and low mood share the same brain circuitry, so they are treated together as one condition rather than two, and your progress with both is tracked through the course.
Cost and Medicare
Where the underlying diagnosis is treatment-resistant depression, Medicare and DVA fund the course in the same way: up to 35 sessions initially, with a further 15 possible at your psychiatrist's discretion. A GP or psychiatrist referral is needed, and eligibility is confirmed at the assessment.
Suitability is confirmed by a psychiatrist at assessment. TMS is not a first-line treatment and does not replace the care of your GP or psychiatrist; it adds to it.
Another Option
When medication alone Isn't Enough
Antidepressants remain the first-line treatment for depression and help a great many people. TMS is an additional option for those whose depression has not responded adequately to medication, and it is usually given alongside existing treatment rather than in place of it.
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| TMS | Antidepressants | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Magnetic pulses target the underactive mood circuit directly | Medicines act on brain chemistry through the whole body |
| Systemic side effects | None. Some people notice scalp sensitivity in the first week, which settles | Vary by medicine; can include weight gain, sexual dysfunction or sedation |
| Time commitment | A ~20-minute clinic visit at least three times a week, for four to six weeks | A tablet at home each day, ongoing |
| Typical response window | Often within weeks two to four of the course | Often four to eight weeks per medicine trial |
| Cost pathway | Medicare- and DVA-funded after two adequate medicine trials | PBS-subsidised prescriptions |
Both are established, evidence-based treatments. TMS is considered when two or more medicines have not been enough, and most people continue their medication during the course. Treatment decisions are made with you by your psychiatrist and GP.
Wondering if TMS is a fit for You?
The first step is a conversation. You do not need a referral to ask a question, and an enquiry creates no obligation.
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