[Can endogenous and neurotic depression be psychopathologically differentiated? Results of statistical analyses]

The concordant results of 54 studies in statistical classification of depressive states are investigated. It is ascertained, that the most trials to classificate depression by multivariate data analysis were not resulting in the discrimination of two syndromes, which were interpreted as endogenous versus neurotic. Much more, the statistical analyses of syndromes of depression succeeded in several classes of depressive symptoms. However, one can differentiate two types of such classes, one of clear-cut classes with especially psychotic symptoms, consistent in different investigations, and another of diffuse, unstable symptom clusters. It is presumed that competitive principles form the depressive states. In addition to etiological factors such as endogenous or neurotic processes, these principles are the severity of the illness, the defense mechanisms of the patient, and the topics of deficit experience.