Psychotic Depression Prognosis

The prognosis of psychotic depression is not as good as that of depression without psychotic features. According to PsychCentral.com, treatment can be effective; however, long-term clinical monitoring may be required.

Definition

• Psychotic depression, which may also be referred to as major depression with psychotic features, is characterized by symptoms of major depression coexisting with psychotic features.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of depression, which may also be referred to as major depressive illness, major depression and clinical depression, may include persistent feelings of sadness, loss of interest in pleasurable activities, changes in eating and sleeping habits and suicide ideation. Psychotic symptoms may include hallucinations and delusions, and a loss of contact with reality.

Treatment

• Effective treatment of the symptoms of psychotic depression may require long-term treatment involving antidepressant, antipsychotic or atypical antipsychotic medications. Severe cases may be treated by electroshock therapy.

Complications

• According to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Department of Psychiatry and published in Biological Psychiatry, psychotic depression is difficult to treat, and those with the disorder may encounter more frequent recurrence of symptoms and more disability than those with depression alone.

Time Frame

• According to research conducted by the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa, and published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the high recurrence of psychotic symptoms indicates that psychotic depression is a life-long illness.