Depression is the commonest mental disorder with a prevalence of between 3 and 5 per cent in the general population and ranges all the way from the almost universal blues to very severe psychotoc states in which the patient suffers delusions, hallucinations and paranoia. Consequently it is managed by a wide variety of groups including GP's, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses and counsellors. This book attempts to produce a synthesis of all the relevant facts about the affective disorders and to make sense of the many different ways they are present and are treated by the different groups involved. The aim of this book is to describe the social, psychological and physical treatments of depression, to indicate the strengths, weaknesses and indications for each and to show how they may be used together in the management of depression as it presents from primary to tertiary care and at different stages. Section one will be an introduction to the concept of depression and will review the evidence for the various biological and psychological influences and how these interact with each other. It should help the practitioners to evaluate, for any given patient, the relative importance of different aetiological factors. Section two provides a critical evaluation of the different types of treatment for depression and what benefits can be expected.