For many people with a Mental Health issue, seeing the words Christianity and Depression together is something akin to an oxymoron. When paired, those words just do not make much sense to them. Most of the time this reaction is caused by experiences with the Christian Community that involved stigma, discrimination, and, misunderstanding. The resulting consequences of these negative experiences is that people with depression often feel they are being judged by the Christian Community. These judgments can range from being told that there is no such thing as depression, to implying that depression is simply a lack of faith.
For some, these judgments get in the way of seeking help. Instead, a choice is made to get rid of the depression without any medical intervention. Rarely does this work. Others react by experiencing a crisis of faith, frequently leaving them in a deeper state of depression.
However, there are a number of Christians who acknowledge that depression is 
a disease. Interestingly, this is not a recent development. It appears that many Puritan Pastors, who were well versed in the Bible, recognized that depression was a complex disease with a multitude of causes. Puritan Pastor Richard Baxter is known for a sermon on depression he once delivered. In it he declares that not all depression is caused by sin or a lack of faith, but that in many instances its root cause is physical (Using the word physical during Puritan times also included the brain).
"With very many there is a great part of the cause in distemper, weakness, and diseasedness of the body; and by it the soul is greatly disabled to any comfortable sense. But the more it ariseth from such natural necessity, the less sinful and less dangerous to the soul; but never the less troublesome, but the more."
Basically what Baxter is saying is that even if the cause of the depression is physical it can affect the soul. Not in a Heaven or Hell sense, but that the soul will be in pain. He is also saying that when the depression is caused by something physical then it has no basis in sin and could possibly cause a person to be in more pain than someone feeling depressed or upset because they committed a sin. At the end of this sermon Baxter also discusses how diet and medicine (most likely meaning herbal remedies) can help someone with depression. More information about Richard Baxter and his sermon about depression (including the quote used in this article), can be found at Puritan Resources for Biblical Counseling.
Article comments
1 - Elder Linda Brown
Thank you! I had so much that I wanted to say, but Thank you is as far as I can go right now.
2 - john trueman
There is really not a divide between sort called psychological depression, and many physical ailments, some, in modern times, specifically associated with depression,and it should be understood any chronic or severe psychological stress/unhappiness, will in nearly all instances give rise to a physical illness or problem.
Now, Christians themselves have a load of hate directed at them, this is of course, of itself, extremely stressfull and unhappy making. So notice here, how some Chrisians are remarkably healthy and resilient, could their togetherness in the belief in the "healing power of love and fellowship" have anything to with that?
However, and this is the same for many people of the Western world, they are often unaware of the effect the World wide tendency to blame the West and Christians for "everything that goes wrong", and "everything that ever has gone wrong", and therefore fail to raise the required mental focus to heal by "fellowship and caring for each other", and sending away or back, as best as is possible, the harming hate and contempt generated by those who hate the West. N.B. This hating is not just pure evil or malice, it is calculated to weaken the West to point where it's civiliations can be usurped and it wealth divided amongst the "victors", including our women and children. This is the only, say- major, 95%, reason, for all the illhealth and misery endured by persons living in the West. It is that basic, that simple, but still we seem compelled to remain passive, with our faces being smeared with dirt by thieves, why, someone please tell me?
Please do not attempt to answer with some silly ideas of social justice. Who attempts, attempts to oversee social justice? Is it the all despising tribes who encourage all Afican people to hate the West for just as long as it serves their purpose, and from then on what..? Hitler was stopped, but the contest is not over yet between Good and Evil.
3 - Nathan
If you want a good book for Christians suffering from depression and anxiety, have a look at 'I'm Not Supposed to Feel Like This' (you can find it on Amazon). It has a good writeup.
4 - Birgit D
I'm glad you posted this. There are so many Christians who feel like they can't seek help, but there are a few christian depression treatment centers that can incorporate faith into your treatment. Renewal Christian Care and other treatment centers provide a place to get help while finding your way closer to God. There's no shame in getting help from a medical professional.