MIDAS Project Publication Abstracts
Posternak, M.A., Zimmerman, M. The symptoms of atypical depression. Psychiatry Research, 2002, 104, 175-181.
Studies examining the demographic and clinical features of depressed
patients who meet criteria for the atypical features subtype have often
yielded conflicting results. The present study sought to evaluate the
demographic and clinical correlates associated with each of the 5 symptoms
(mood reactivity, hypersomnia, hyperphagia, leaden paralysis, and
rejection sensitivity) that comprise the DSM-IV criteria set of atypical
depression. Symptom prevalence rates were determined for 661 psychiatric
outpatients diagnosed with a major depressive disorder, and were analyzed
as a function of age, sex, severity, and episode duration. We found that
(1) younger age was positively associated with hypersomnia and negatively
associated with leaden paralysis, while middle age was positively
associated with both hyperphagia and rejection sensitivity, (2) female sex
was associated with all of the atypical symptoms except rejection
sensitivity, (3) a greater severity of illness was positively associated
with leaden paralysis and rejection sensitivity, and negatively associated
with mood reactivity, and (4) a duration of illness of greater than 3
months was positively associated with hyperphagia, leaden paralysis, and
rejection sensitivity. Thus, the 5 atypical features do not appear to be
associated with the same clinical profiles.
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