Psychomotor disturbance in depression: defining the constructs
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 6, 2026

Association Between Sleep Quality and Cognitive Symptoms in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder
Published on: April 26, 2024
G Parker1, D Hadzi-Pavlovic, H Brodaty
1Mood Disorders Unit, Prince Henry Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
Abstract:
Four hundred and thirteen depressed patients were rated on eighteen signs of psychomotor disturbance, and the data examined by factor analyses. A three-factor solution was favoured. In addition to 'retardation' and 'agitation' dimensions (whose derived factor scores suggested independence of those two dimensions), a third 'non-interactive' dimension was evident--with derived factor scores correlating significantly with both the retardation and agitation dimensions. Thus, a 'trunk and branch' analogy was suggested for construing psychomotor disturbance, with a truncal 'psychic' component arborising into retardation and agitation 'motoric' expressions. Higher scores on all three factors were significantly linked with features weighted more to the melancholic 'type' of depression.
Related Concept Videos
Depression: Overview
Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
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...
Introduction to Psychological Disorders
Deviant Behavior
Deviance in behavior refers to actions or thought patterns that significantly diverge from societal norms or...
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects
