[Affective disorders: a pharmacological approach]

In the treatment of depression, the major objective is remission. Unfortunately, in clinical trials as in naturalistic studies, complete remission rate is very low. Consequences of partial remission or non-response to treatment are well known particularly in terms of risk of relapse, chronicity and quality of life impairment. During the 2006-2007 period, we participated to studies that tend to bring complementary responses to key issues in major depression, and particularly remission and socio-economic correlates of depression, but also the role of serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors in the perspective of remission.