The aim of the current volume is to gain a better understanding of depression as it occurs in the context of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Major depressive disorder (MDD) is often comorbid with PTSD, but it is not clear whether this represents a true concomitant condition, with a separate underlying cause and pathophysiology, an artifact of overlapping symptoms, a PTSD subtype, or a condition that increases risk for the development of PTSD following trauma exposure. Whether depression in PTSD represents a phenomenological expression of the same underlying pathophysiology as PTSD is interesting in the context of the distinct biological alterations observed in PTSD and MDD. Furthermore, antidepressants may have only limited utility in PTSD or may preferentially target depressive symptoms. This volume calls for updated research that will inform the question of the comorbidity and treatment of depression in PTSD. In recent years, developments from the fields of molecular biology, genetics, biological psychiatry, and neuroimaging have provided an important context for interpreting findings from epidemiological and phenomenological observations allowing new insights and clarity into this clinically relevant topic.

We invite authors to present original research articles, as well as review articles. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• The role of trauma exposure as a predictor/antecedent of depression
• Depression as a predictor of trauma exposure and/or PTSD
• Biological signatures/subtypes of depression with and without trauma exposure
• Animal models of depression in the context of trauma exposure
• Depressive subtypes in PTSD; effects of antidepressants in PTSD
• Childhood trauma exposure as an antecedent to PTSD and depression
• Gene x environment interactions in predicting depression and PTSD
• Maternal stress and depression and in utero transmission of vulnerable phenotype
• Special issues in postdeployment depression and suicide

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/drt/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable: