Considerable controversy exists within and between the various conceptualizations of depression. Whereas some theorists and researchers view depression as primarily of biological origin, others emphasize intrapsychic, behavioural, or interpersonal mechanisms. In this paper an effort is made to adopt a broader perspective in which the different models of depression are seen as mutually complementary, rather than as mutually exclusive. In contrast to other attempts that have been made to bypass the controversy (e.g., Coyne, 1976; Feldman, 1981), this paper spells out some of the therapeutic implications of the broader framework that are advocated.
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