TMS for Teenagers – depression treatment for under 18s
Smart TMS is now fully registered to treat patients from the age of 14. We are the first UK provider to offer Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) approved for under 18s, offering an alternative and medication-free approach to treating depression in adolescents.

Straight to:
TMS for teens is a non-invasive therapy that uses magnetic pulses to calm the areas of the brain that control mood and motivation.
With no anaesthetic, no medication, no need for hospitalisation and no recovery time, TMS for adolescents is a non-invasive treatment uses a repetitive magnetic pulse to modulate the parts of the brain that cause persistent sadness or depression.
You're not alone...
1 in 5
20% of adolescents may experience a mental health problem in a year (WHO - World Health Organisation)
3 in 4
75% of young people are not receiving the treatment they need for their mental health problems
1 in 10
10% of schoolchildren have a diagnosable mental health condition
10 years
is the average wait time for effective treatment for mental health problem sin the UK
75%
75% of all mental health problems are established by the time someone is 18. Early intervention and appropriate treatment is vital to helping young people towards the best outcome in the immediate and the long term.
How does TMS treatment work?
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation treatment for depression works by stimulating the prefrontal cortex of the brain, working to reestablish good brain patterns and pathways using highly targeted magnetic pulses. Treatment is completely safe and non-invasive. It is a clinically proven treatment with evidence to support its potential benefits.
TMS therapy is carried out in Smart TMS clinics across the country. A course of treatment is required, involving regular in-patient visits to the clinic.
Is TMS right for us?
Treatment for depression from the age of 14 to 19
Smart TMS can help to treat depression, and we are fully registered to treat teenagers with TMS therapy. Our approved TMS age limit is patients over 14 years old. Most people are suitable to receive TMS treatment.
Full parental involvement
For patients under the age of 18, parents or guardians need to be involved in the consent process and are welcome to attend all treatment sessions.
Child & adolescent psychiatrist
The 14-18 service has been developed very carefully in conjunction with Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist Dr Ana Tsakiri.
Teenage referrals welcome
Children can have TMS treatment providing they over the age of 14. We are happy to receive teenage patients through referral from other medical professionals and our experts would be pleased to discuss the case in advance to assess and advise on likely suitability.
Patient testimonial, age 16
"This is an absolutely fantastic service and the peace that it has brought to me is unbelievable. I am 16 years old and have been suffering with depression and anxiety since I was 13. I tried loads of different treatments and medication, and hospitalised for 3 months at the age of 14. None of these helped my depression or anxiety in the long term. Before Smart TMS I could not do the regular things a teenager should be able to do because my depression and anxiety were holding me back from living my life. With the help of Smart TMS I can now do the things I could not do before. Smart TMS has given me my life back, a life that I never thought was possible for me before this."
