How to Fend Off Depression

For some folks with depression, the best prescription might not be
Prozac but rather lessons in interpersonal problem solving.

That's because depressed people aren't helpless bystanders to their
condition, contends Joanne Davila, Ph.D.

A depressed person's actions--especially the mistakes--can create
stress. And stress is one of the biggest contributors to
depression.

Because interpersonal conflicts can be particularly stressful,
Davila studied how depressed and non-depressed young women handle such
problems, both at work (asking your boss for Friday off) and at play
(telling your beau you want to see other guys). In depressed women, poor
problem solving indeed intensified stress, increasing their risk of
further depression, Davila and colleagues report in the Journal of
Abnormal Psychology (Vol. 104, No. 4).

"We're not saying people are doing something wrong and making
themselves depressed," notes Davila. "Depression is more complicated than
that. But people can make changes in their lives that might protect them
from getting depressed."

Davila, a researcher at UCLA, says the findings mirror the
observations of many therapists, who see best results when they do more
than just help patients feel better. By advising depressed individuals
how to resolve interpersonal conflict more successfully, therapists,
family, and friends can contribute to a long-term solution.