[Symptomatology and diagnosis of depression]

It is characterized by mainly depressive mood and psychomotor retardation. Another symptoms are retardation of thought, diurnal change, anxiety, irritability, delusion of belittlement, etc. There are often somatic symptoms as loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, loss of body weight, constipation, etc. Depressive symptoms are often seen in schizophrenia, brain injury, endocrinosis illness and other somatic illness. Diagnosis of depression is carefully carried out by detailed interviews and symptoms. Recently diagnosis of depression is determined mechanically by DSM-IV or ICD-10. Neuro-endocrine tests as DST or Dex-CRH test, are useful strategies in examination of depression.