Recovery, chronicity, and levels of psychopathology in major depression

Major depression is a chronic and recurrent disorder for many people who are afflicted by it. There is a wealth of literature addressing the course of this disorder with follow-up times varying from several months to several decades, which gives a remarkably consistent picture in treated and untreated populations. Fortunately, most people who develop major depression recover from their initial episode; unfortunately, a significant minority do not recover fully and a near majority develop additional episodes. This article examines a selected group of studies that have examined the course of depression, with a focus on a large naturalistic longitudinal prospective study of affective disorders--the NIMH Collaborative Depression Study.