Am J Psychiatry 1984; 141:24-28
Copyright © 1984 by American Psychiatric Association
Involutional melancholia revisited
RP Brown, J Sweeney, E Loutsch, J Kocsis and A Frances
In this study, 31 patients with involutional-onset major depression had
significantly more somatization and hypochondriasis and less loss of
libido, guilt, suicidal intent, and family history of depression than 60
patients with an earlier onset. Regardless of age at onset, patients over
age 50 had more agitation, initial insomnia, and hypochondriasis than those
under 50. These findings suggest that clinical characteristics of patients
with unipolar endogenous depression may be influenced by age at both onset
and time of current episode. Although there is insufficient evidence to
view involutional melancholia as a separate clinical entity, further
research into the genetic and biochemical basis of late-onset depression is
warranted.
