Additional Study Information: The Columbia University Irving Medical Center Department of Psychiatry is conducting a clinical research study at the New York State Psychiatric Institute looking at depression in adults ages 18-75. Participants in this study will be randomly assigned to either treatment with medication or a sugar pill. The medication is called escitalopram and it is an FDA approved medication indicated for the treatment of major depressive disorder. A placebo is a sugar pill. Escitalopram is a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) medication that appears to help with symptoms of depression by increasing the availability of specific chemicals in the brain. Participants in this study will return to our clinic for visits either weekly or monthly.