The lifetime diagnoses of first degree relatives were compared for three groups of patients hospitalized with a major depressive syndrome: (1) schizoaffective disorder, depressed subtype; (2) major depressive disorder, psychotic subtype; and (3) major depressive disorder, nonpsychotic subtype. Although very few relatives reported ever having delusions or hallucinations, they were more likely to be found within the familes of both groups of psychotic probands as compared to those of the nonpsychotic probands.