Can traumatic life events cause depression and, if so, how? This book examines the biology, classification and treatment issues.Can traumatic life events cause depression? Studies generally point to a connection between adverse life events and depression. However, establishing a causal rather than associative connection is more problematic. The authors structure this examination of the question around three major themes: the pathophysiological role of stress in depression; whether or not a subtype of depression exists that is particularly stress-inducible; and, finally, how best to diagnose and treat depression in relation to its biological basis.Can traumatic life events cause depression? Studies generally point to a connection between adverse life events and depression. However, establishing a causal rather than associative connection is more problematic. The authors structure this examination of the question around three major themes: the pathophysiological role of stress in depression; whether or not a subtype of depression exists that is particularly stress-inducible; and, finally, how best to diagnose and treat depression in relation to its biological basis.Can traumatic life events cause depression? Studies generally point to a connection between adverse life events and depression. However, establishing a causal, rather than associative, connection is more problematic. The authors structure this examination of the question around three major themes: the pathophysiological role of stress in depression; whether or not a subtype of depression exists that is particularly stress-inducible; and, finally, how best to diagnose and treat depression in relation to its biological basis.Introduction; 1. Diagnosing depression; 2. Traumatic life events: general issues; 3. Life events and depression: preliminary issues; 4. Life events and depression: is there a causal connection; 5. Genetics and depression Jim van Os; 6. Gene-environment correlation and interaction in deprelӞ