Women at Higher Risk of Depression in Ontario • The following groups are at higher risk of depression: women at specific life stages (adolescence and perinatal) and women in special groups: • unemployed and working women • aboriginal women • immigrant and ethnic minorities • intimate partner violence • history of child maltreatment • lone mothers • lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and transsexu [...] Part Two describes the overall picture of depression among women in Ontario and Canada; the scales and classification systems used to detect and diagnose depression; the prevalence and incidence of depression; risk factors for the disorder; and the burden of illness of depression. [...] The team of researchers was comprised of psychologists, psychiatrists and epidemiologists with expertise in women’s health and sub-fields specifically reflective of the causes and consequences of, and treatments for, depression in women. [...] However, they may not capture the severity of depression very well (i.e., they do not address duration of symptoms, degree of impairment, and co-morbid psychiatric disorders), and the nature of the disorder complicates the measurement where those with severe depression are less likely to respond to questions and may be unable to communicate their feelings. [...] This suggests that the prevalence of depression is higher in the U. S. and in more urban regions, whereas the overall prevalence in Ontario is similar to the estimates seen for the six countries in Europe.