The Complexities of Depression

Excerpt

Major depression is one of the world’s most common medical problems, being the leading cause of disability in developed nations worldwide and the third overall cause of global disease burden [1]. In the United States, approximately 7 % of the population experiences depression each year [2]. Although there is some variability in rates of depression among different groups, nonetheless it strikes across ethnic, racial, national and socioeconomic boundaries [3]. As a major public health problem, treatment of depression is of paramount importance, yet relatively few advances in treatments have occurred for nearly two decades and available interventions fail to provide timely relief for many affected people [4]. New interventions are clearly needed, but to make these advances, a better understanding of the brain basis of depression is necessary. In this section of Current Psychiatry Reports, several leading experts examine aspects of the treatment of depression ranging from specific subgroups (e.g., depression complicated by psychosis) to specific aspects of the illness (namely suicide). To help frame these discussions, the possible underlying functional neuroanatomy of depression is also reviewed. …