[Long-term thymoleptic management of depressive states with special reference to retarded depression]

Attention is drawn to the importance of long-term thymoleptic treatment by describing the progress of 39 patients who were continually adjusted to a thymoleptic maintenance dose for a mean duration of two years following a depressive reaction. Apart from having a direct thymoleptic effect on insufficiency phenomena lasting longer than particular phases this led to the conclusion that treatment should be related strictly to phase due to the particular proneness of such patients to relapse during postdepressive insufficiency syndromes. Special mention is made of typological features characterising the course of depressive reactions.