TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2013//
TI  - Melancholia: past and present
JO  - Canadian journal of psychiatry, The
A1  - Healy, David
SP  - 190
EP  - 194
VL  - 58
IS  - 4
N2  - Objective: To investigate commonalities in the clinical presentation of melancholia over time. Method: I conducted a comparative study to 2 epidemiologically complete databases from 1875-1924 and 1995-2005. Results: Patients in the historical period (1875-1924, compared with 1995-2005) with a diagnosis of melancholia show a classic profile of endogenous onset, with remission after 6 months, neurovegetative features, and, commonly, psychosis. The incidence of psychotic presentations appears to have fallen in recent decades. Patients in the contemporary period (1995-2010, compared with 1875-1924) at first admission for severe depressive disorders are more likely at an older age, more likely to go on to die by suicide, and will have much more frequent admissions. Conclusions: The data from this study support classical perceptions of melancholia. The poor outcomes in contemporary cases of severe depressive disorders support arguments for distinguishing between melancholia and other depressive disorders.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0706-7437
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/070674371305800403
ID  - ref1
ER  -