The second edition of Depression: Causes and Treatment provides a contemporary review of the diagnosis, causes, and treatments of depression. Both biological and psychological treatment approaches are described.

More than forty years ago, Dr. Aaron T. Beck's pioneering Depression: Causes and Treatment presented the first comprehensive account of all aspects of depression and introduced cognitive therapy to health care providers and patients struggling with one of the most common and devastating diseases of the modern age. Since that classic text first appeared, the appreciation of the multifaceted nature of mood disorders has grown, and the phenomenological and biological aspects of psychology are increasingly seen as intertwined. Taking these developments into account, Beck and his colleague Brad A. Alford have written a second edition of Depression that will help patients and caregivers understand depression as a cognitive disorder.
The new edition of Depression builds on the original research and approach of the seminal first edition, including the tests of Freud's theory that led to a new system of psychological theory and therapy, one that addresses the negative schema and automatic thoughts that can trap people in painful emotional states. Beck and Alford examine selected scientific tests and randomized controlled trials that have enhanced the cognitive approach since the time it was first introduced.
Incorporating accepted changes in the definitions and categories of the various mood disorders into its discussion, Depression addresses the treatment role of revolutionary drugs, such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in relation to cognitive approaches. Beck and Alford explore research on neurotrophic and neurogenesis theories of depression. They also report on advances in psychosocial treatment of depression, including the value of cognitive therapy in the prevention of relapse.

"The first edition of Beck's Depression: Causes and Treatments was published over 40 years ago with the goal of addressing firmly established aspects of the nature, causes, and treatment of depression. . . . The second edition has much the same goal as the first: it provides updates on previously reviewed topics; introduces aspects of the study of depression that have become relevant more recently; and provides an historical perspective on depression research. The book is well organized and well written, and manages to be both informative and satisfying for the reader." - Psychological Medicine

"The second edition of Depression: Causes and Treatment should appeal to clinicians interested in the symptom presentation of affective disorders, the cognitive model, and various treatment considerations as well as to researchers interested in the biological underpinnings of depression as well as research contributions and limitations. . . . The second edition will assume the position of the first edition as one of the most authoritative texts on the topic." - PsycCRITIQUES