Abstract
The distribution of 93 consecutive cases of depressive illness in a Surrey general practice was found to be non-random. Married women were at risk, while men and unmarried women were largely spared. Married women were prone to the disorder at any time in their lives, and relapse was frequent. There was some suggestion that divorced wives and wives of low social class were particularly predisposed to the disorder.Sixty of the patients took part in a double-blind controlled trial of imipramine. There was no evidence that the drug was superior to a placebo in inducing a remission. It is suggested that imipramine has become established in clinical practice on inadequate evidence and that there is a need for further trials.