Well, Liz & Allan,

 I suppose I've given this thread more than enough time to get some
responses to my query, but I guess you're it!
 While I very much appreciate your response, unfortunately a sample
of one does not a statistic make.  :-(
 However, I did say in my original post that I would explain the
reason for my question after any and all responses had been received,
so here it is:

 I have severe chronic depression. I've had it since I was a kid. At
15, I "attempted to attempt" to kill myself. What that boils down to
is that after a (or maybe I should say "yet another") bitter argument
with my parents (mostly my father), I ran upstairs to my bedroom,
grabbed my shotgun, went to my dresser and...my shells weren't there.
And they were nowhere to be found. I've been suicide-level depressed
many times since but as you can see, I'm still here. I'm not currently
suicidal and haven't been for about a year (thanks to SSRI's) but
always, always far enough down that I pretty much have to look up to
see bottom, as they say.
 Now I'm not ordering up for a pity-party here, please don't think I
am. The only reason for my sob story is to point up the depth of my
depression, it's egregious persistance, and its pertinance to my
question.
 About a year and a half ago, I was so far over the edge that I would
have done ANYTHING to "make it all go away". One option that was
suggested to me is what is known as "Electro Convulsive Therapy" or
ECT ("shock treatment" in the vernacular).
 As I investigated the procedure, I even received a few educational
"shocks" along the way:
 For one thing doctors have no idea how it works, only that it does
seem to work well in, depending on who's calculating the numbers, from
70-90% of deeply depressed individuals.
 Of course that single paragraph is wrought with subjective optimism.
For instance, just how "well" does something that "works well" work?
What's the depressive alleviation bell curve look like? As it turns
out, the curve is skewed pretty sharply to the left. That means if you
are only mildly depressed, it won't do much of anything (vis a vis
alleviation of symptoms, that is) The worse off you are, the better it
seems to work until you get to that curious 10-30% group on the right
where the curve suddenly drops off. IOW, if you aren't depressed
enough, or you're TOO depressed, you are SOL!
 There are other statistical arguments that can be raised over the
treatment's success (or at least the claims thereto) but knowing me,
I've already gone into yawning territory for most of you folks, so
I'll just cut to the chase now...

 The Ace Kicker is this, kids: In a nutshell, the ECT procedure is to
have a technician adjust the level of an electrical current across
your frontal lobe until you experience a GRAN MAL SEIZURE!

 And so it has bedeviled me ever since that if doctors purposely
induce periodic (every couple of weeks to every couple of months for a
period of about 6 months to 2 or 3 years) Gran Mal seizures to
alleviate deep depression, then I've wondered if the population of
"natural" Gran Mal sufferrers might have a lower rate of deep and/or
chronic depression.

 And thus, my question....    ;-)

 But not to worry, I always have another question. Stay tuned....

Thanks again for your response,
Cheers,

       Mike

 Bell Atlantic, huh? You must be within about 3 states of me, S or
SW. I live in Erial, NJ. Where are you?

If you answer me, I PROMISE not to go into a diatribe about how Bell,
Inc, a wonderfully efficient legal monopoly in this country was blown
to smithereens over an antitrust suit brought by Litton Industries.

Yeah, THAT Litton, the one in your kitchen....   ;-)