Primary and Secondary Affective Disorder: Part III Longitudinal Differences in Depression Symptoms

Depressed inpatients (29 primary & 31 secondary) were blindly rated at several time points on 137 depressive symptoms. Of the 7 high frequency symptoms or symptom clusters analyzed, significantly greater symptom presistence was seen for secondary depressives on low mood, pessimism, change in usual interests & suicidal ideation. Suicidal ideation tended to be the first symptom to remit in primary depression but persisted in the secondary group, even after remission of the most severe symptom.