What is Psychotic Depression?
Psychotic depression refers to major depressive disorder (MDD) with features of psychosis, a specific presentation of depression. It involves symptoms of psychosis during an episode of depression.
Psychosis can include:
Estimates based on community samples suggest MDD with psychosis affects anywhere from 10 to 19 percent of people having an episode of major depression. Among people receiving inpatient care for depression, this rate increases to:
- between 25 and 45 percent of adults
- up to 53 percent of older adults
Depression is always serious. Still, experts tend to consider MDD with psychosis more serious than depression without psychosis because it’s more likely to involve:
- melancholic features
- more severe symptoms
- a greater risk of self-harm or thoughts of suicide