ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the major scientific models of depression and their respective treatment approaches. It presents an in-depth review of systematic research regarding the psychotherapeutic use of imagery in alleviating depression. The chapter provides a brief review of related research on depression and imagery and deals with a theoretical discussion of the cognitive-affective aspects of a biopsychosocial model of depression. Depression is a negative affective state which is an almost universal human phenomenon. H. S. Akiskal and W. J. McKinney recognized the importance of striving toward a more unified theory of depression and, therefore, developed a hypothesis which integrates more fully the various clinical models. Consonant with the various theories of depression are the different approaches in the treatment of depression. Sociological and interpersonal theories of depression have contributed to sociopolitical activism. Psychotherapeutic treatment of depression ranges from minimal, once-a-month supportive psychotherapy to intensive, five-times-a-week psychoanalysis.
