Vulnerability to psychosis in unipolar major depression: is premorbid functioning involved?

Abstract

Factors related to a vulnerability to psychosis among patients with major depression are present even years before the onset of overt psychotic symptoms. The data could support the view that impaired premorbid functioning is one manifestation of prepsychotic processes that constitute an underlying diathesis for psychotic episodes during the longitudinal course of unipolar major depression. These findings are consistent with other emerging findings pointing to early developmental deficits in patients who subsequently develop psychotic disorders.