agitated depression

Last reviewed 01/2018

This term is applied to depressive disorders in which agitation is prominent. The patient is restless, paces up and down, occupies him- or herself with purposeless activities, or starts tasks which are soon abandoned.

Agitation occurs in many severe depressive disorders, but in agitated depression it is particularly severe. There is no reason to suppose that agitated depression differs in other important respects from other depressive disorders.

The condition is seen more commonly among the middle aged and elderly than among younger patients.