Depressive Disorders in the Community

Depressive Disorders in the Community describes the diagnosis and treatment techniques of 60 case histories of depressive disorders. These cases are collected by one family doctor over a period of some sixteen years, in a single rural community. This book is composed of 10 chapters, and begins with studies of the nature of depressive illnesses and the controversial issue of the number of depressed persons in the community. The subsequent chapters describe the clinical symptoms and manifestations, as well as long-term observation of endogenous depression cases. These topics are followed by discussions on the clinical manifestations of patients with suicidal tendency. The concluding chapters focus on the treatment options of depressive patients, along with an overview of the social problem of depression. This book will be of great value to psychiatrists, general medical practitioners, and social workers.