Clinical characteristics of the depressive development of personality
Zh Nevropatol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova, 88 (12):
73--78 (1988)Abstract
To study manifestations of the depressive personality development, the authors followed up 48 women (of the total number of 143 patients) exposed to long-term objectively unsolvable psychogenically traumatizing situation related to a child's disease. The symptomatology of depressive neurosis had undergone a typical course by the moment of examination: the acuteness, vividness and lability of the affect had disappeared, being replaced by its monotony; depression of the psychic activity in all spheres of life had deepened and strengthened, faith in a favourable resolution of the situation had been fully lost; new traits related to anxiety-dysthymic attitude toward people and events had formed; psychosomatic diseases had developed in the presence of marked vegetative manifestations. Clinical variants of depressive personality development are described. A conclusion is drawn about the typical eventuality of a depressive neurosis in the depressive development of the personality.