Current strategies and general principles for the treatment of depression

The main trend of antidepressive treatments in France are presented. The th ree stages of antidepressive treatment are developped : acute, maintenance and prophylactic treatment. Treatments of depressive states recover four di fferent fields:chemotherapy, psychotherapy, E.C.T. and phototherapy. The ch oice of an antidepressant includes efficacy but also tolerance, safety and costs. Advantages and inconvenients of new antidepressants are explained. T reatments of chronic depressions are studies according four different types of resistance.