Epidemiological Considerations of Psychotic Depression

This study describes 568 individuals who had received a diagnosis of psychotic depression during 1961-62 & examines their psychiatric experiences through 1966. The diagnosis of psychotic depression was given most frequently to an older, married, white female group. Of the original sample, 16% had died by the end of the follow-up period, including 6 male & 7 female suicides. Suicide occurred least frequently in the group with a single isolated psychiatric contact. (15 refs.)