BACKGROUND Depression is a psychological illness. It is one of the most common mental illnesses (Blais et al., 2013). Depression has been known since ancient times. Hippocrates diagnosed it in the 4th century BC (McNamara and Horan, 1986). After World War II, depression was described as “aggression turned inward” (McNamara & Horan, 1986). There is now the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, designed to assess the severity of depression (Gibbons et al., 2012). Depression is known all over the world. In European countries, there are generally two treatment methods: antidepressants or psychotherapy. Systems differ from country to country. In the UK, general practitioners have the right to prescribe medication, but in Germany only psychiatrists or neurologists can do so (Willsher et al., 2013). Psychotherapy is generally an expensive treatment, but in Germany the government offers five initial sessions free of charge, while in Spain general practitioners choose to refer the patient to the mental health system only in severe cases (Willsher et al ., 2013). Approximately 17% of people experience depression during their lifetime (Gibbons, et al., 2012). It has been found that “more than 350 million people of all ages suffer from depression” (World Health Organization [WHO], 2012). It is the fourth major public problem and is expected to become the number one disease in developed countries by 2030 (Hollon and Sexton, 2012). In Scotland, the number of patients in ten years has been halved, but the number of antidepressants prescribed has doubled (Stirling, 2013). According to the Scottish NHS, 420,000 patients receive treatment for depression (Stirling, 2013). However, these statistics may not reflect the scale of the problem. According...... middle of paper...... tears are increasing. Pulse. Retrieved November 24, 2013 from http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/clinical/therapy-areas/mental-health/number-of-patients-presenting-with-depression-halves-in-ten-years-while - anti-depressant-prescriptions-increase/20005103.article#.UpIA1qUkfDMWilliams, AD, Blackwell, SE, Mackenzie, A., Holmes, EA, & Andrews, G. (2013). Combining imagination and reason in the treatment of depression: a randomized controlled trial of Internet-based cognitive bias modification and Internet-based CBT for depression. Journal of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, 81(5), 793-799. doi:10.1037/a0033247 Willsher, K., Oltermann, P., Hamilos, P., & Infante, V. (November 21, 2013). How treatment of depression differs across Europe. The Guardian. Accessed November 24, 2013 from http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/nov/21/depression-treatment-antidepressants-europe