SOCIAL-CLASS AND MOOD DISORDERS - CLINICAL-FEATURES

We examined clinical features in 877 in- und outpatients affected by d epression who were enrolled in psychopharmacological trials, subdivide d according to Hollingshead's method into five social classes. The res ults showed that social class correlated significantly with the subtyp es of mood disorders, with bipolar disorder being more frequent amongs t the upper than the lower social classes. Furthermore, as already rep orted in other countries, social class appeared to influence the psych opathological pattern of depressive symptoms: somatization and anxiety were more frequent amongst the lower social classes, while psychic an d cognitive symptoms were more common amongst the upper classes.