[Common mental disorders, depression and public health]

Common Mental Disorders (CMD), particularly depressive disorders, are problems of public health importance and it would seem appropriate to approach them from a public health point of view. In this paper only psychosocial aspects are dealt with, because biological factors are less important in the pathogenesis of CMD. Although there are significant associations between socioeconomic variables and CMD, the association between poverty and CMD seems to be one of the most robust. There is good evidence that low income is associated with CMD, and this relationship may be causal. There is therefore a possibility that changes in social and economic policy that would reduce poverty might also reduce the prevalence of CMD. Future research should try to unravel the mechanisms and causal factors that underlie these common and disabling disorders.