Treatments for depression work for all types; typically, the specific type of depression does not change the treatment approach drastically. It does, however, inform as to certain patterns of response to treatments as well as to the degree of intervention that may be necessary. For example, an individual with major depression with psychotic features is more apt to require hospitalization than an individual with dysthymic disorder.
Some sub-types of depression have evidence of better response to certain treatments. For example, an atypical depression has classically been considered more responsive to a specific medication class, called the MAOIs. Depression with melancholic features (that is depression with poor sleep, appetite, and energy) may respond better to tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs).
Seasonal depression responds best to a treatment called light therapy. The presence of bipolar disorder usually means that a mood stabilizer is a necessary part of the treatment, because the use of an antidepressant without a mood stabilizer in a bipolar individual puts the person at risk for the development of a manic episode.