Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia

Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia

Depressive disorders are a group of mental health conditions characterized by pervasive feelings of sadness, diminished pleasure in life, and a significant impact on daily functioning. These conditions are most prevalent in individuals during their 30s and affect women at twice the rate of men. Contrary to popular belief, younger individuals are generally more susceptible to these disorders than older adults. Two key types of depressive disorders include Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and...

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) serves as the primary classification system for mental health disorders, providing standardized diagnostic criteria for clinicians and researchers. First published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in 1952, the DSM has undergone several revisions to reflect evolving psychiatric understanding. The fifth edition, DSM-5, released in 2013, introduced key updates that expanded diagnostic categories and modified diagnostic...

Depressive Disorders: Etiology

Depressive Disorders: Etiology

Depressive disorders result from a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors, each contributing uniquely to the development and persistence of the condition. Understanding these factors provides critical insight into the multifaceted nature of depression.
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

Atypical antidepressants, including bupropion (Wellbutrin), mirtazapine (Remeron), nefazodone (Serzone), trazodone (Desyrel), and vilazodone (Viibryd), offer unique mechanisms of action. Bupropion weakly inhibits dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, aiding depression treatment and smoking cessation, with a low risk of sexual dysfunction. Mirtazapine enhances serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmission, leading to sedation, increased appetite, and weight gain. As a result, it helps treat...

Depression: Overview

Depression: Overview

Depression is a prevalent mental illness marked by persistent sadness and lack of interest in previously enjoyable activities. It can take several forms, including major depression, persistent depressive disorder, and bipolar I and II disorders. Symptoms range from emotional changes like chronic worry to physical changes like sleep disturbances and suicidal thoughts. From a neurobiological perspective, depression is believed to be triggered by abnormalities in the brain's prefrontal cortex,...

Antidepressant Drugs: Tricyclics, SSRIs, and SNRIs

Antidepressant Drugs: Tricyclics, SSRIs, and SNRIs

Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs), including Desipramine (Norpramin), Imipramine (Tofranil), Clomipramine (Anafranil), and Amitriptyline (Elavil), inhibit serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake and also block other receptors. They are used for depression, pain conditions, and insomnia. Common adverse effects include anticholinergic effects, sedation, orthostatic hypotension, and weight gain. They have a narrow therapeutic window and so require plasma-level monitoring. Abrupt discontinuation can...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

A Cluster Randomized Trial of an Online Training Program on Cancer Prevention Behaviors in Volunteer Firefighters: A Proof of Principle Trial.

Workplace health & safety·2026

Same author

Development and Evaluation of the Firefighter Exposure to Carcinogens Scale.

Journal of occupational and environmental medicine·2025

Same author

Posttraumatic stress disorder interventions for children aged zero to six years: a scoping review.

European journal of psychotraumatology·2025

Same author

Evaluating the relationship between caregiver depression, social support, and children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms in families affected by 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

Orphanet journal of rare diseases·2025

Same author

Corrigendum to "Effect of age on the response to serotonergic and noradrenergic antidepressants: A systematic review, meta-regression and individual participant data pooled analysis" [J. Psychiatr. Res. 183 (2025) 133-143 doi. 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.013].

Journal of psychiatric research·2025

Same author

Effect of age on the response to serotonergic and noradrenergic antidepressants: A systematic review, meta-regression and individual participant data pooled analysis.

Journal of psychiatric research·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Association Between Sleep Quality and Cognitive Symptoms in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

Association Between Sleep Quality and Cognitive Symptoms in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

Published on: April 26, 2024

DSM-IV depression with atypical features: is it valid?

Jonathan W Stewart¹, Patrick J McGrath, Frederic M Quitkin

¹Department of Depression Evaluation Service, New York State Psychiatrist Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA. jws6@columbia.edu

Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology

|September 4, 2009

Summary

Depression with atypical features is a distinct clinical syndrome, not a milder form of melancholia. Research confirms its unique characteristics in symptoms, illness course, biology, family history, and treatment response.

More Related Videos

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats

Published on: February 22, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Association Between Sleep Quality and Cognitive Symptoms in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

Association Between Sleep Quality and Cognitive Symptoms in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

Published on: April 26, 2024

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats

Published on: February 22, 2018

Area of Science:

Psychiatry
Clinical Psychology

Background:

Atypical features were added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) as a specifier for major depression and dysthymia in 1994.
Previous research supported the validity of atypical depression by highlighting differences from melancholic depression in symptoms, course, biology, family history, and treatment response.

Purpose of the Study:

To review post-DSM-IV literature concerning the validity of depression with atypical features.
To determine if atypical depression represents a distinct syndrome separate from melancholic depression and other depressive groups.

Main Methods:

Review of scientific literature published after the DSM-IV.
Analysis of studies examining syndromal symptoms, illness course, biological markers, family history, and treatment response in different depressive subtypes.

Main Results:

Most post-DSM-IV studies corroborate earlier findings, supporting the distinctiveness of atypical depression.
Significant differences were consistently observed between atypical depression, melancholic depression, other depressive groups, and non-depressed controls across various domains.
Biological studies indicate that non-depressed individuals have intermediate biological values between those with atypical depression and other depressed patients, suggesting atypical depression is not a milder form of melancholia.

Conclusions:

Depression with atypical features is a valid clinical syndrome.
The syndrome is distinct not only from melancholic depression but also from other depressive groups and healthy controls.
Recognizing atypical depression as a distinct entity is heuristically valuable and aids in guiding treatment decisions.