title: Chronic depression in women.
abstract: Chronic depression represents an important public health concern for women. It is underrecognized and undertreated and is associated with significant functional impairment and high rates of comorbidity. Moreover, recent research suggests that chronic depression may affect women more seriously than men; for example, women may experience illness onset at an earlier age and experience more severe psychosocial impairment compared with men. Recent studies have demonstrated the efficacy of both antidepressant medications and psychotherapy in treating chronic depression, with differential responsiveness to some treatments between women and men. Young women should be screened carefully and treated vigorously to prevent the serious consequences of this condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298-0710, USA.
authors.forename: Susan G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kornstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000523:psychology; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012107:Research Design / Q000639:trends; D012737:Sex Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents