Here's a thought...

This is advice, not just for dealing with people with depression, but for interacting with everyone (from Beyond Blue Blog):

Listen.
"When people are talking," writes Rachel Naomi Remen, "there's no need to do anything but receive them. Just take them in. Listen to what they're saying. Care about it. Most times caring about it is even more important than understanding it."  Suggestions [come] off as condescending, even though...they were meant to be helpful. Advice [can be] annoying. Many times [they] just [need] to be heard, to be validated. Don't hesitate to say nothing. Because silence often speaks the most loving message.