background In the past 25 years, 50 randomised controlled trials have examined the effects of preventive interventions on preventing the onset of new depressive disorders. aim To describe the state of affairs in research into the prevention of depression. method Narrative review of the field. results These trials have shown that preventive interventies can indeed prevent the onset of depression in some cases. The absolute effects of the interventions are, however, modest and most trial participants don’t develop a disorder, also not when they don’t get an intervention. An important challenge for the future is to strengthen the effects of the interventions and to identify high-risk groups with higher absolute risk to develop a disorder. Another challenge is to increase participation rates. conclusion Innovations, such as new methods to identify high-risk groups, better and more efficient interventions and ‘indirect’ prevention offer new possibilities to improve the field of prevention. Tijdschrift voor Psychiatrie 63(2021)2, 129-132