Depression: Clinical, Experimental, and Theoretical Aspects

Abstract

His propensity to deal with the symptomatic aspects of depression, without regarding nosological classification of psychiatric diseases, creates some difficulties. Where he attempts to differentiate neurotic from true, endogenous depressions, Beck utilizes only cross-sectional symptomatology, and he finally concludes that there are no specific signs and symptoms, aside from delusions, to distinguish psychotic from neurotic depressions. Thus he supports the thesis that the two conditions differ only in quantitative aspects. However, in the reviewer's experience, longitudinal studies indicate a high incidence of hysterical reactions, alcoholism, and other pathological features in the personality of individuals with neurotic depressions, as well as the absence of manic episodes. After offering data which purport to indicate a higher incidence of orphanage in depressed individuals, Beck develops the thesis that parental deprivation in childhood may be a factor in later development of severe depression. Elsewhere, the reviewer has recorded detailed criticism of these data and