Since the publication of the first edition in 1993, there have been important developments in the understanding of depression and in the treatment approaches. This new edition reflects these new realities, giving increased emphasis to the biological foundations of depression, the development of and wide use of antidepressant drugs, the shift in the means of dispensing these drugs from mental health professionals to primary care physicians, and the development of alternative medicine approaches to treatment.

Written in an easy-to-read manner, the book provides a wide-ranging picture of what is known about depressed moods and depression, from demographic, biological, and psychological aspects to methods of treatment and issues surrounding recurrence.