Resource Tag: MELANCHOLIA

Patients with primary affective disorder who had either psychomotor agitation alone or psychomotor retardation alone were studied. Compared to psychomotor retardation, psychomotor agitation appears to be seen more frequently in women, older patients, and individuals who have a late onset to their illness. In addition, those with agitation alone appeared to have a better and […]

In the 30s, the treatment of involutional melancholia left a great deal to be desired. Drugs, mainly barbiturates, were employed. Other forms of treatment were continuous tubs, rehabilitation through ‘moral treatment’, and narcosis therapy. These patients had a 50% chance of getting well and a 25% chance of destroying themselves. With the advent of ECT […]

A brief ariticle about the use of the dexamethasone suppression test to predict depression, melancholia, & self-destructive behavior. (NBB)

Psychiatric inpatients (22 male, 31 female) with a diagnosis of major depression, were evaluated with the Zung, Dempsey, & Hamilton Depression Scales, & part of the Beck Scale. Analysis of data revealed a constellation of symptoms in females resembling an anxiety disorder, suggesting the possibility of misdiagnosing major depression as an anxiety disorder. Demographic factors, […]

The paper explores some of the definitions of depression from psychodynamic, cognitive & behavioral points of view. Special reference is made to aspects of grief, mourning, & loss in relation to depression. Depression as a clinical condition is then viewed from a crisis intervention point of view as being a possible precursor to attempted suicide. […]

This study investigates the possible consequences of not identifying depressive symptomatology in patients presenting somato-vegetative symptoms & behavior disturbances. 72 cases of masked depression were analyzed, hospitalized & diagnosed in a psychiatric clinic. Symptomatology differed somewhat (table 2) but characteristics critical to the suicidal process were evident.(NBB)

The author presents an overview of psychological theories related to the risk of suicide in patients with manic-depressive or schizophrenic disorders. Each condition is discussed separately from the persective of psychoanalytical, cognitive & existential psychologies. (NBB)

In this article the author reproduces a classic paper from Robert Burton’s “The Anatomy of Melancholy”, published in 1628 at least 13 years before the word “suicide” was first used in the English language. Discusses the many euphemisms for the word “suicide”.

The neurotransmitter metabolites 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), homovanillic acid (HVA) & 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl glycol (HMPG) were measured by mass fragmentography in 83 patients with melanchol, & 66 healthy controls. Significantly lower levels of 5-HIAA & HVA were found in the melancholia patients. The reduced concentrations of 5-HIAA & HVA in the melancholic patients may be due to […]

The Anhedonia Scale scores of 39 persons who later committed suicide, people who later died of natural causes, & survivors were compared. The results were equivocal, but suggested that suicides are characterized by low anhedonia & individuals who die premature natural deaths show high anhedonia levels.

Burrows looks at why there are so many competing classifications of depression by examining the many systems developed. The article concludes there is no consensus of opinion about how depression should be classified although some areas of agreement have emerged. The possible implications of this were briefly discussed. (MRE)

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