ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the natural course depression, relapse rates, and patterns of symptomatic recovery in psychotherapy. Depression accounted for 4.46" of total worldwide disability adjusted life-years in the year 2000 and, globally, depression accounted for 12" of the total number of years lived with disability. It is estimated that, globally, depression is the fourth most common cause of disease burden in women and the seventh most common cause in men. Anecdotal evidence drawn from informal conversations between psychotherapist colleagues strongly suggests that depression is the single most common disorder for which people seek therapy. Depression is a significant mental health problem, one that all psychotherapists encounter regularly in clinical practice. Depression is not just a form of extreme sadness. It is a disorder that affects both brain and body, including cognition, behaviour, the immune system and peripheral nervous system. The course of depression and prognostic indicators vary considerably according to type and number of previous episodes.
