A COMPARISON BETWEEN DELUSIONAL AND NONDELUSIONAL DEPRESSIVES

Delusional depressive episodes may represent more severe degrees of depressive manifestations or a distinct subtype of depressive illness. To test these two alternative hypotheses, characteristics on demographic, clinical and symptomatic variables, presence of personality disorders and familial loading were compared in 57 delusional and 57 non-delusional depressive patients The delusional group did not differ on symptomatological intensity degree, clinical and familial loading characteristics. They did differ on higher distribution of Cluster 1 peronality disorders. In the delusional sample the presence of mood incongruent psychotic features and hallucinations were evaluated as possible indicators of different subtypes of delusional depression.