ABSTRACT
Background Depression is a signicant public health concern worldwide and has been ranked as one of the illnesses having the greatest burden for individuals, families, and society [1,2]. In Canada depression accounts for $14.4 billion annually of health care spending, lost productivity, and premature death [3]. As well, depression is related to increased morbidity and mortality from medical conditions [4-6] and decreased quality of life [7,8] among many other negative consequences.
