120 patients initiating interferon therapy will be recruited from the Portland, Minneapolis, and Long Beach VAMCs. The study is limited to only those participants who are currently mentally healthy at baseline and eligible to receive interferon therapy. Research participants are: 1) male or female, 2) age 18 or older, 3) chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus, 4) candidates for interferon therapy, 4) not on antidepressant treatment , and 5) not currently abusing any substances such as alcohol or intravenous drugs, or having abused in the past 6 months