Hello,
Extremely concerned sister here.
My older brother has been suffering from depression since 2010 (though we only found out about it April 2014).

The story is as tragic as it gets, unfortunately. He is the most intelligent person I know, and by that I mean he was one of the youngest members of MENSA (an international society for people with high IQ) and was one of 10 international students around the world to get into Cambridge University in the UK. That is when the depression triggered. 5 years down the line, and 3 universities later he has still not managed to get through first year of uni. I can go on about the immense pressure that was on him, and how heartbroken my whole family is but there's no need. Anyways, it seems that the root of the problem is linked to the pressure of doing well academically, and it seems that he cannot face any sort of studies.

He's been off now for several months, and he has been fine (without any academic pressure). But now he is planning on going back to school in January and is expected to start preparing work now, and I can already feel him slipping. He just cannot bring himself to face studies or anything associated with it. He's been stuck in an endless cycle and I need to help him find a solution. He has been seeing a therapist and I believe he is restarting taking some meds now (he was off them for a while). He wants a degree, and I want to help him get one because noone is more capable than him. I just don't know how to help him. Any suggestions?