Summary

This paper reviews the concept of depression and the contemporary nosology of depressives states with their different subtypes. Course (acute vs chronic depressions, seasonal pattern) and phenomenological characateristics (melancholic, atypical, psychotic and catatonic features) are discussed, as well as the importance and meaning of psychomotor disturbance for the diagnosis of the so-called “endogenous” or “vital” depression, in accordance with contemporary authors (Parker and Widlöcher). This paper also discusses the boundaries of depression with bipolar disorder, personality disorders, demoralization and normal feelings of sadness, as well as the limits with other clinical diseases and drug induced conditions.

The author made a review on depression with emphasys on concept, classification and general aspects