Depressions secondary to other psychiatric disorders and medical illnesses.

The authors studied 401 patients with depressions secondary to psychiatric illnesses (substance abuse disorders or somatoform, anxiety, or personality disorders) or depressions secondary to medical illnesses. They found that the patients with depressions secondary to psychiatric illnesses had an earlier age at onset, were more likely to have suicidal thoughts or to have made suicide attempts, were less likely to have memory problems, were less improved with treatment and more likely to relapse on follow-up, and had more alcoholism in their families than patients with depressions secondary to medical illnesses. Depressions secondary to medical illnesses seem to fit the category of reactive depression, and depressions secondary to psychiatric illnesses fit the definition of neurotic depression.