There is a need to find effective ways to treat depression, due to its high incidence and to the severity of its consequences. The first psychological treatment of depression came with the advent of psychoanalysis, but today the theories dealing with the etiology and treatment of depression range from genetic and biological approaches to an existential conceptualization. While briefly reviewing these various current approaches, the primary purpose of this paper is to present the behavioral/social learning approach to the understanding and treatment of depression. The specific theoretical formulations, methods of assessment and treatment approaches characteristic of the behavioral/social learning approach will be reviewed. Illustrative clinical and research studies concerning therapeutic outcomes are evaluated. The results indicate that while behavioral approaches appear to be effective in the treatment of depression, additional systematic research must be conducted before final judgments can be made as to whether behavioral treatment of depression will become the treatment of choice
