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The approach to Depression in this INFOMED is somewhat different than you may see at other sites and books. While it follows the definition of depression as defined by the American Psychiatric Association, other factors are also considered.

Perhaps an explanation will make this clearer. An individual who is depressed has a biochemical change in his or her brain that causes the depression. Medications to treat depression attempt to alter this brain chemistry as do therapies that encourage patients to discuss their problems and situations (e.g psychoanalysis). Unfortunately, medicine's understanding of human brain function is at the same level as medicine's understanding of heart function was 400 years ago. These treatments are very crude attempts to correct an extremely complex biological process - the physiology of depression.

Nonetheless, treatment can be helpful, especially in cases of what is called endogenous depression, whereby the patient feels depressed even though there are no major problems in his or her life. On the other hand, exogenous depression - where there are difficult personal factors - is less responsive to treatment.

Perhaps an example will make this clearer. A patient who has a job and reasonably good marriage may have a depression that is more of a chemical brain imbalance. Treatment may help. On the other hand, a newly divorced patient who is estranged from his family who is in bankruptcy court has a much stronger reason for being depressed. Treatment from the medical profession is less likely to help this individual. On the other hand, if this patient finds a girlfriend or hits the lotto, there is a reasonable chance the depression will subside.