Etiopathogenic Theories and Models in Depression

This book reviews the different theories and models that seek to explain the causes of depression from different perspectives, from the molecular to the socio-cultural level. Depression is a complex psychopathological construct of high phenotypic heterogeneity, which must be understood as a phenomenon in which different explanatory levels interact with each other. However, very little is known about this interaction. The aim of this book is to provide clinical psychologists and psychiatrists a better knowledge of the interaction of different etiopathogenic levels, in order to help these professionals make better therapeutic decisions when treating depressed patients.

Chapters in this volume review etiopathogenic theories and models of depression developed by different disciplines and fields of research, such as clinical psychology, psychiatry, genetics, neurobiology, psychophisiology, psychoneuroendocrinology and psychosocial studies, and examine certain conditions where the integrated consideration of different explanatory levels illuminates how depression originates and is maintained. In each chapter, authors critically review the state of the art in their field of expertise and explain the weak points of their own theories and their possible openness or connection to alternative theories or models. 

Etiopathogenic Theories and Models in Depression will be a valuable resource for clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and other health professionals working with depressed patients, as well as to researchers investigating how depression originates and is maintained, presenting an integrated perspective of high translational value for clinical practice.

Juan Pablo Jiménez, MD, Ph.D., is full professor of psychiatry and a trained psychoanalyst (International Psychoanalytic Association). Currently Director of the Millennium Institute for Research on Depression and Personality (MIDAP), and former director (2000-2013) of the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health at the University of Chile, Santiago (Eastern Campus). He was co-founder and director of the interinstitutional PhD program in psychotherapy (2007-2014) at the Universidad de Chile/Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, where he has led an annual seminar on the interdisciplinary study of depression for over 12 years. He is currently conducting a multi-level research project on depression and subjective well-being in college students. The multidisciplinary research team includes psychiatrists, psychologists, geneticists, public health professionals, anthropologists and mathematical engineers. He was member of the Research Committee and of the Research Advisory Board of the International Psychoanalytic Association. He was member of the faculty at the Research Training Program and visiting professor at the University College London (2007-2015). In both psychoanalysis and psychiatry, his interests revolve around the conditions for the construction of epistemological as well as methodological pluralism and interdisciplinary research in Mental Health. In this capacity he was invited to be one of the members of the committee of the International Psychoanalytical Association for the integration of theories in psychoanalysis (2008-2012).

Alberto Botto, MD, Ph.D., is assistant professor of psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Chile, Santiago (Eastern Campus); trained psychotherapist and researcher at the Millennium Institute for Research on Depression and Personality (MIDAP). Visiting professor Postgraduate Degree in Dynamic Psychotherapy (UPD) at the Instituto Psiquiátrico Dr. José Horwitz Barak. Visiting Professor Doctorate in Developmental Sciences and Psychopathology, Universidad del Desarrollo. Professor of Diploma in psychotherapy research for mental health professionals, Universidad Diego Portales. He is a member of the Society for Psychotherapy Research (SPR), International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy (IARPP), Sociedad Chilena para el Desarrollo de la Psiquiatría (SODEPSI), Asociación Psicoanalítica de Santiago (APSAN). He has been General Editor of the journal Gaceta de Psiquiatría Universitaria and past president of Sociedad Chilena para el Desarrollo de la Psiquiatría (SODEPSI). Author of the books: Mood Stabilizers (Ediciones Gaceta de Psiquiatría Universitaria. Temas y Controversias. Santiago, 2007) and Escorzo. Ensayos sobre psiquiatría y psicoterapia (Sodepsi Ediciones, Santiago, 2016). He is also co-author with Julia Acuña and Juan Pablo Jiménez of the book Psiquiatría para Atención Primaria y el Médico General.Depresión, ansiedad y somatización (Editorial Mediterráneo, Santiago de Chile, 2009). Currently, his research interest is focused on the epistemological and psychopathological aspects of mood disorders and specifically in the study of gene-culture interaction in depressive symptomatology and subjective well-being in Chile.

Peter Fonagy, OBE, FMedSci, FBA, FAcSS, PhD, is Professor of Contemporary Psychoanalysis and Developmental Science and Director of the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London (UCL), Chief Executive, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, and Programme Director, Mental Health and Wellbeing Programme, UCLPartners. His clinical interests centre on issues of mentalization theory and research, borderline psychopathology, violence and early attachment relationships. His work attempts to integrate empirical research with psychoanalytic theory. With an H-Index of 156 (Google Scholar), 85 (Scopus), – 20 publications over 1,000 citations –, he has published 609 original peer-reviewed papers and articles, 284 chapters, has authored 21 books and edited 18. He has received numerous awards for his contributions to clinical psychology and psychoanalysis, including the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and the Wiley Prize of the British Academy for Lifetime Achievements. He has had multiple professional responsibilities in the British Health Care System where he is Senior Clinical Advisor for children’s mental health and is leading task groups on numerous specific problems.