This book is of potential interest to health professionals, psychotherapists, students of psychology and counselling and anyone interested in a deeper scientific understanding of depression. It contains: _ An overview of the science of depression and details of research linking antenatal self-criticism with postnatal depression, _ An original perspective on the possible evolutionary origins of depression and the consequent implications for its understanding, treatment and prevention. This perspective, in contrast to the medical disease model, leads to "a model in which depression is seen as not normally a biochemical illness or disorder, but as usually due to becoming trapped within a psychologically activated but unwanted and inappropriate suite of natural emotions".