Psychotic vs. nonpsychotic depression: comparison of treatment response

This retrospective study compared the treatment responses of 34 primary, unipolar depressives without psychotic features and 30 with psychotic features. Patients were diagnosed by Research Diagnostic Criteria and received trials of tricyclic antidepressants, antipsychotics, the combination of the two, electroconvulsive therapy, or placebo and psychotherapy. Only three of 18 psychotic patients vs. 17 of 23 nonpsychotic patients responded to antidepressants alone. Electroconvulsive therapy and the combination of antipsychotic and antidepressant medication gave better responses. These data suggest that major depressive disorder with psychotic features is best considered as a distinct subtype rather than a severe variant of major depression.