Psychotic depression

From ArticleWorld

The psychotic depression is a very severe form of a depressive disease. It is considered a medical emergency because, while not dangerous by itself, it is such a severe form of depression, that patients, especially, teenagers, may be prone to self-harm.

Symptoms and causes

Psychotic depression is characterized by the obvious depressed mood common to all depressive states. However, synaesthesia may occure, including hallucination and erratic behavior. Symptoms are often similar to those of chronical mental diseases like schizophrenia, but most victims of psychotic depressions realize that these are just illusions, and may often be embarassed of them and hide them, making diagnosis even more difficult. Patients are often anxious and agitated, and may display insomnia, hypochondria and cognitive impairments.

Researchers are still not sure about the causes of psychotic depression. However, PD has often been associated with high cortisol levels. Obvious risk factors are not known, but a degree of heredity seems to be present.

Treatment

The treatment of PD is usually very efective, and patients recover quickly, usually in less than one year. It involves a longer hospital stay than other cases of milder depressions, and medication may also be more agressive, but the treatment is mainly psychological.

The steroid RU-486, although not related to treatment of depression, seems to help dramatically, aside from its effects as an emergency contraceptive.