ATYPICAL DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN SEASONAL AND NONSEASONAL MOOD DISORDERS

The authors examined the rates of atypical depression and prevalence o f specific atypical symptoms in patients with seasonal versus non-seas onal depression. Fifty-three patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) were compared to 54 patients with non-seasonal major depressive disorder (MDD) using the atypical depression diagnostic scale (ADDS). SAD patients scored significantly higher than non-seasonal MDD patien ts in hyperphagia and hypersomnia, and significantly lower in interper sonal sensitivity and other rejection avoidance. There was no differen ce in the rate of ADDS diagnosis of atypical depression. Differences b etween atypical depression and SAD suggest that they are separate subt ypes of depression with an overlapping symptom picture. (C) 1997 Elsev ier Science B.V.