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Late-Life Atypical Major Depressive Episode

A 358-Case Study In Outpatients

Received July 10, 1998; revised February 8, 1999; accepted April 5, 1999. From the Department of Psychiatry, Public Hospital Morgagni, Forlì, Italy. Address correspondence to Dr. Franco Benazzi, Via Pozzetto 17, 48015 Castiglione di Cervia, RA, Italy. e-mail: f.benazzi{at}fo.nettuno.it

The author compared the prevalence and symptoms of DSM-IV major depressive episode (MDE) with atypical features between older and younger MDE outpatients (N=358). Atypical MDE was present in 55.0% of MDE patients under age 60 and in 28.1% age 60 and over (P=0.0000). Bipolar II disorder was present in 56.4% of younger patients, and in 23.9% of late-life patients (P=0.0000). Late-life atypical MDE patients had less interpersonal-rejection sensitivity. Prevalence of atypical MDE seems lower among late-life MDE outpatients than among younger MDE outpatients, which may be related to the decrease with aging in the prevalence of patients with bipolar II MDE, where there is a higher prevalence of atypical features.

Key Words: Depression • Primary Care • Health Services