ABSTRACT
Treatment of depression has traditionally been assumed as a responsibility primarily of psychiatrists. This view has changed over the last three decades. Primary care physicians are recognized as primary providers of depression treatment. Sir David Goldberg’s initial research on the epidemiology of mental disorders provided impetus for this trend (Goldberg and Blackwell, 1970). The finding that general health care setting was an important point of service for patients with psychiatric disorders continues to be validated by recent epidemiological surveys (Spitzer, et al. 1994). Over the last two decades, the field of mental health research in primary care has flourished worldwide and is yielding advances to lessen the burden of psychological disorders.
