The burden of recurrent depression: Causes, consequences, and future prospects

Depression represents one of the most profound human problems currently fac ing the global health care system. It is a prevalent clinical condition and is estimated to rival virtually every other known medical illness in burde n of disease morbidity early in this millennium. Understanding the chronic nature of this illness is key to the development of a more informed, longit udinal perspective on the diagnosis and treatment of depression. In this re port, the morbid impact of depression is reviewed, from the perspectives of illness symptoms, societal impact, and emerging evidence of critical neuro biological consequences of the untreated condition. Reconceptualizing major depression from this longitudinal and multidimensional perspective is cruc ial to providing an effective response to this critical public health chall enge.