Although depression has been long considered an exclusively mental disorder, this book highlights the importance of recognizing it as a systemic--physical--illness. The chapters herein present key findings from research on animal models before proceding on to examine the "allostatic" load that depression bears on the body, commonly observed patterns of depression, and illnesses that it is likely to adversely effect--through mechanisms other than that of non-compliance with treatment. The authors also explore various diagnostic dilemmas including symptom-driven, phenomenologic approaches, and discuss drug-drug interactions and the use of unique electronic health records as collaborating agents to the physician.Depression as a Systemic Illness emphasizes the need for the primary care physician to be the first agent to care for "garden variety" depressive disorders and the need to alter medical school and residency training to accommodate the development of the necessary skills, knowledge and attitudes to fulfill this goal. Its unique approach and presentation of depression makes it a key resource for clinicians within the fields of both psychiatry and primary care medicine.

1. The Biological Basis of Depression: Insights from Animal ModelsEric J. Nestler2. The Brain and Body on Stress: Allostatic Load and Mechanisms for Depression and DementiaBruce S. McEwen and Natalie L.Rasgon3. Depression as a recurrent, progressive illness: Need for long-term preventionRobert M. Post4. Biological effects of Depression in Cardiac IllnessNicole Mavrides and Charles Nemeroff5. Biological effects of depression: risk for and occurrence of strokeBradleigh Hayhow and Sergio Starkstein6. Depression and CancerDaniel C McFarland and Jimmie Holland7. Depression in Neurologic Disorders: Comorbidity or another clinical manifestation?Andres M. Kanner8. Depression and Diabetes and Endocrine DisordersEduardo A. Col?n9. Wound Healing and DepressionFrederick J Stoddard Jr and Robert L. Sheridan10. Psychopharmacological Issues in the Treatment of Depression as a Systemic Illness: Focus on Adverse Drug Reactions and Drug-Drug InteractionsKelly L. Cozza, Rita Rein, Gary H. Wynn, and Eric G. Meyer11. Diagnostic DilemmasJames J. Strain, Patricia Casey, and Peter Tyrer12. Models of Mental Health Training for Non-Psychiatric Physicians: Beyond Collaborative CareJames J. Strain13. An Updated Electronic Health Record (EHR) for Depression ManagementJay J. Strain, Akhil Shenoy, and James J. StrainEpilogueJames J. Strain and Michael Blumenfield