The phenomenology of depersonalization in depressive disorders

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To establish the psychopathological characteristics of depersonalization disorders in patients with depressive states of varying severity and nosological affiliation. MATERIAL AND METHODS Fifty-five patients (39 women, mean age 36.89±12.9 years and 16 men, mean age 37.11±13.7 years) were studied using a psychopathological method and psychometric scales. RESULTS There is a certain syntropy between the various variants of depressive and depersonalization disorders. Depersonalization of change, the mildest variant of the disorder of self-consciousness, is observed both in so-called endogenous affective disorders (phases of recurrent depressive disorder (DDR) and bipolar affective disorder (BAR)), and in predominantly psychogenic depressive disorders (impaired adaptation). Depersonalization of loss is characteristic of the more severe phases of DDR and BAR, as well as periods of exacerbation of dysthymia. CONCLUSION The synergism between depressive affect and depersonalization disorders determines the choice of therapeutic tactics.