|  | Conditions Treatments | Depression

What Is Endogenous Depression?

Endogenous depression is major depression that is thought to be caused by genetics instead of a traumatic life experience. Endogenous means "starts from within." Not every doctor agrees endogenous depression exists.

  1. Identification

    • There seems to be no logical reason why the patient is depressed, so this may be given the label "endogenous depression." The patient may not even know why he or she is depressed.

    History

    • According to "Psychotic Depression" by Conrad M. Swartz and Edward Shorter, the term "endogenous depression" was first used by European psychologist Emil Kraepelin.

    Time Frame

    • Endogenous depression can happen at any point in a person's life. It can be continual, or episodes of depression may come and go.

    Risks

    • According to the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia Inc., endogenous depression rarely grows into psychotic depression (where the patients hallucinates and cannot function normally).

    Controversy

    • The fourth edition of "The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders"--considered the bible of mental illness treatments--no longer lists "endogenous depression," although it does list "major depressive disorder, unspecified."

Depression - Related Articles