[Depressive type of drawing test without melancholy].

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neurology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• The House-Tree-Person (H-T-P) Test is a projective drawing technique.
• Depressive symptoms are typically associated with specific drawing patterns in the H-T-P Test.
• Apathy is a recognized syndrome, though not always classifiable in standard diagnostic systems like ICD-10 or DSM-IV-TR.

Observation:

• Five homeless men (42-67 years) with psycho-organic conditions (dementia, cognitive disorder) exhibited depressive H-T-P drawings without verbalized melancholy.
• Drawing features included small figures in the upper left corner and human figures lacking hands, symbolizing helplessness.
• Patient presentations varied, including severe apathy, euphoria with logorrhea, and retarded thinking.

Findings:

• Depressive drawing patterns in the H-T-P Test were observed in patients lacking overt melancholic symptoms.
• Psycho-organic signs were evident in the drawings of demented patients.
• The study suggests that depressive drawing signs and psycho-organic signs are independent, indicating drawings can reflect depression separate from cognitive impairment.

Implications:

• The H-T-P Drawing Test serves as a valuable nonverbal tool for investigating psycho-organic patients.
• This method can detect depression in individuals who do not verbally express sadness or melancholic complaints.
• The findings suggest that certain drawing patterns may indicate subclinical or 'abortive' depressions, particularly in the context of apathy or cognitive decline.