Atypical depression
J. R. Davidson, R. D. Miller, C. D. Turnbull and J. L. Sullivan
The term atypical depression generally indicates either depression
accompanied by severe anxiety (type A) or by atypical vegetative symptoms,
ie, increased appetite, weight, sleep, or libido (type V). Early age at
onset, predominance in women, outpatient status, mild intensity, rarity of
attempted suicide, nonbipolarity, nonendogenicity, and minimal psychomotor
change are common to both types. Some types of bipolar depression may be
considered as atypical if accompanied by reversed vegetative change.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors are more effective than placebo in treating
atypical depression, but their reported superiority to tricyclic
antidepressants awaits confirmation, for which the development of
appropriate operational criteria would be helpful. Atypical depression is a
term that covers several types of depressive disorder and can, for the most
part, be better defined using the standard nomenclature.
