How common is depression?
The World Health Organization estimates that 5.2% of adults worldwide have depression. In Lebanon, a national survey published in The Lancet in 2006, using data from 2002 and 2003, found that only 10.9% of people with a mental disorder in the past year had obtained treatment.
How depression is treated
The WHO presents psychological treatment as a first-line approach to depression, which can be combined with antidepressants for moderate and severe depression, and lists CBT among the evidence-based options. NICE guidance in the UK also includes individual CBT among its treatment options for adults, and for young people aged 12 to 18 with moderate to severe depression.
How Angela works with depression
Therapy starts with a comprehensive assessment of your concerns, history and how you're functioning now. In session 2, Angela explains the formulation and what any diagnosis means in plain language. From session 3 you work through a collaborative plan with clear goals, using CBT and DBT interventions, with progress reviewed along the way.
Written by Angela Barhouch, licensed clinical psychologist and psychology instructor at the American University of Beirut. Last updated November 2026. This page is general information and doesn't replace an individual assessment.