classification by symptoms
Last reviewed 01/2018
The classification of depression into neurotic vs. psychotic is of little clinical use, except to indicate that psychotic depression is generally more severe.
The main concepts are:
- neurotic depression is generally characterised by:
- anxiety
- phobia
- obsessional symptoms
- diurnal mood change, worse in the evening
- psychotic depression:
- delusions such as guilt, worthlessness, nihilism
- hallucinations, usually auditory