This paper reviews 30 years of longitudinal research, initially undertaken to examine gender differences in rates of major depression and psychosocial risk factors for depression. Over time, the research focus has broadened to include the impact of anxiety on depression onset, coping styles for stress and depression, genetic and environmental influences on depression onset, and more recently, a shift towards examining positive mental health. This research provides many insights about real and artefactual factors that contribute to the rates and experience of depression.

The original cohort comprised a socially homogenous group of post-graduate teacher trainees (n=165) and does not attempt to represent the normal variability in an adult population. However, they are an articulate group able to provide consistent responses over time and also valuable insights into their own experience of depression and coping with life in general. The findings are supplemented by data from other studies undertaken by this research team that are pertinent to the topic and add weight to some of the observations from the Teachers' Study.