DOUBLE DEPRESSION IN MEN - DOES IT EXIST

Differences between male veterans diagnosed with major depression alon e and male veterans diagnosed with both major depression and dysthymia (double depression) were investigated. Assessment instruments include d the Structured Clinical interview for DSM-III-R, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R). Consisten t with prior literature, it was hypothesized that male veterans diagno sed with both major depression and dysthymia display more severe depre ssive symptomatology and other forms of psychopathology than male vete rans diagnosed with major depression alone. Results did not corroborat e these hypotheses. Patients with double depression (n = 17) yielded B DI and SCL-90-R scores which did not differ significantly fi om those of patients with major depression alone (n = 14). Our results call int o question the existence of double depression among men, a disorder wh ose existence has been demonstrated primarily among women.