Depressive illnesses cause much suffering and disability, even when they are not obvious or severe. They constitute a very large burden on the individual, the family and the community, so it is important that all opportunities to identify and treat patients with depressive illness are taken. Many patients are seen in primary care and in general hospital services who can be treated successfully without referral to specialist psychiatric services. Some studies have been published which demonstrate how to tackle this problem successfully, but some published studies have not been successful. The differences between successful and unsuccessful studies will be discussed in this course, and the teaching modules produced by the World Psychiatric Association will be used to demonstrate some of the components needed for successful courses. Passive presentation of information by itself is not sufficient, and the course will include brief illustrations of practical clinically-based exercises as examples of how participants in such courses can be actively involved in teaching and learning procedures.