“About one in five people will suffer from major depression at some point in their lives. Aside from the psychological burden, people suffering from depression are known to be at higher risk of heart disease”.
But what are the causes of depression? What happens in the brain when someone is depressed? And which treatments work best?
Writing in the Lancet, Phillips and colleagues from the University of Pittsburgh give an authoritative account of the current state of the art. They appraise the evidence for antidepressant drugs and psychological therapies, and highlight promising new treatment strategies.
Kupfer DJ, Frank E & Phillips ML (2012) Major depressive disorder: new clinical, neurobiological and treatment perspectives. Lancet 379:1045-55.
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