I don't know if it was my location, or if my congregation was more enlightened, or whatever but. . .
My elders always encouraged people to seek medical help for depression. Courage and depression were never linked (not sure where that came from). In fact, they were always driving others to appointments and if there was no money, finding ways to get them government help. I never saw anything in the WT or from the platform that blamed depression on the individual or lack of faith. Possibly the older publications, but then, the entire world didn't fully understand depression, so that was common everywhere.
Now they may have gone out of their way to 'encourage' prayer, study etc for depressed people, but I didn't see this as offering it as a solution, but more like a depressed person needs lots of encouragement in all areas, and spirituality was their area. Others would encourage they do something for themselves, go for walks, watch movies, eat right---not to suggest it as a cure, but to help with the symptoms and to prevent them from becoming isolated.
When I was depressed, I felt very guilty for not maintaining my spiritual schedule, but elders came to visit me and actually were quite comforting. They told me I should not be so hard on myself, as Jehovah was not that hard on me. Of course, they recommended prayer etc, but only in the doses I could handle---in other words---they weren't pressuring me or offering it as a cure---but just reminding me it might bring me comfort. They ALSO asked me if I had seen a doctor and offered to help pay for the medication. Then they strongly (they said 'strongly') encouraged me to continue with the treatment and to tell them if that presented problems for me (mostly money and rides).
When I had no insurance, an elder's wife took it on herself (because I was in no condition) to find help that I could afford and to make sure I got to appointments.
I had some very dark times. I sometimes marvel that I made it through. They wanted to hospitalize me at one point, and I was strongly resistant to this. I told an elder friend of mine, and he and his wife got on the phone with my doctor and talked for a very long time. They decided (WITH my doctor) that I could just stay with them for a while, and they carefully followed all of the doctor's directions. It was a kind, comforting, warm and loving week, and one of my best memories of being 'in'. It was blame-free and they would not tolerate me laying blame on myself. They reminded me repeatedly that I was very ill and not seeing things clearly. I had done nothing wrong, and they wouldn't hear of it!
As to courage, I take issue with such a comment because of a very specific conversation. I was in the blackest time I could remember, and elders were at my house, and one of them told me he found my courage stunning. He said if he were suffering as I was, and seeing things the way that I did, he doesn't know if he could be as brave. That comment had an amazing effect on me, because I never took credit for any of my strength, yet here was a man that I thought was very strong telling me that my strength and courage had him in awe. That really gave me even more strength.
I'm not a WT apologist, but sometimes people are just not informed. So individuals said and did stupid things. But I don't think such were supported by the WT.
That said, I haven't needed treatment for depression since I got free, and I've had some really upsetting, life-changing things happen that would have caused me to crash in the past. But then, other Christian religions brought on the same kind of depression for me. For me it started big time when I went to Catholic school and learned about Hell (that was actually a new concept to me), and continued as I went to other churches and they made me feel fallen and helpless and defective. The reason I so easily became a JW was because of how messed up Christianity in general had me.
As an atheist, I have found very little that can bring so much angst that I fall into a deep pit. So I don't blame the WT for my depression or accuse them of mishandling it. But I do hold the entire system of Christianity at fault for messing with my head and emotions. For scaring me, for making me feel unreasonable guilt, unreasonable uncertainty, and for making quite minor things biblically epic.