The lifetime prevalence of affective disorder in female physicians & women with their doctorate was assessed by personal interview. Thirty-nine percent of 111 white, female physicians & 30% of 103 white, female doctorates were found to have primary affective disorder. There was no excess of depression in women psychiatrists or psychologists. Eleven percent of the first-degree relatives of the depressed physicians & 7% of similar relatives of depressed doctorates had affective disorder by family history compared to only 2% of the well physicians & 2% of the relatives of the well doctorates. Results confirm that depression is an extremely common problem for professional women. (19 refs)