ABSTRACT
Until recently, depressive disorders have been treated primarily using in dividual therapy. The depressed client presents for therapy or someone close to the patient facilitates the initial contact with the therapist. From that point forward, the depressed client and the therapist are left to their own devices to resolve the depression. The people with whom the depressed client most commonly interacts are not included in therapy. For many clients, this approach is relatively successful. The treatm ent outcome lit erature to date has provided evidence for the efficacy of several treatm ent approaches based on individual therapy strategies. These include phar macotherapy and psychotherapy (e.g., Bellack, Hersen & Himmelhoch, 1983; Kovacs, 1980; Kovacs, Rush, Beck, & Hollon, 1981; Weissman, Prusoff, DiMascio, Neu, Goklaney, & Klerman, 1979; also see Steinbrueck, Maxwell, & Howard, 1983).
