Identifying and differentiating melancholic depression in a non-clinical sample

Melancholia has been variably viewed dimensionally (i.e. as a more severe expression of clinical depression) or categorically (i.e. as a separate depressive ‘type’), the respective so-called ‘unitary’ and ‘binary’ models. We have argued for the latter (Parker and Hadzi-Pavlovic, 1996) based on melancholia showing (i) a degree of specificity of several symptoms and signs, (ii) a greater relevance of genetic and biological rather than psychoso cial factors, (iii) a selective response to physical treatments rather than to a psychotherapy and (iv) a low placebo response rate.
Source: Journal of Affective Disorders - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Review article Source Type: research