Factors associated with incomplete recovery in primary depressive illness.

Factors associated with chronicity in primary depression were investigated. Chronic secondary and episodic primary depressives served as control groups. Shortened REM latency and relative absence of pronounced characterologic pathology in the chronic primary depressive group were similar to data for episodic primary depressive controls. Chronicity in primary depression was significantly correlated with a positive family history of affective disorder, multiple losses through death of family members, disabled spouses, concurrent incapacitating medical diseases (especially their treatment with depressant antihypertensive drugs), and secondary sedativism (including alcoholism). No correlation was found with childhood loss of a parent or severity of depressive episodes.