Important clinical issues as the outcome of long term treatment with antidepressants, the time of onset of the antidepressant response and the limitations of the antidepressants currently available are covered in this monograph. Leading researchers in the area of clinical and experimental psychopharmacology critically assess the progress in their specialist fields. The mechanisms of action of antidepressants are considered, followed by clinical research into the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the immune system in the biology of depression and in response to treatment. The...