The detection and treatment of depression in the physically ill

Depression and chronic physical illness are in reciprocal relationshipwith one another: not only do many chronic illnesses cause higher rates ofdepression, but depression has been shown to antedate some chronic physicalillnesses. Depression associated with physical illness is less well detectedthan depression occurring on its own, and various ways of improving both thedetection and treatment of depression accompanying physical illness are described.This paper is in four parts, the first dealing with the evidence for depressionhaving a special relationship with physical disorders, the second dealingwith detection of depression in physically ill patients, the third with thetreatment of depression, and the fourth describing the advantages of treatingdepression among physically ill patients.