Depressions: Factors related to 10‐year prognosis

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Abstract
The 10 yr course of a series of 83 moderately severe depressions [human] and factors governing the clinical and work prognosis were presented. Depression was the fundamental disturbance in 75 cases during the index period. The depression was endogenous in 67 cases, reactive in 8, and neurotic in 6 cases. In the follow-up the dropout from personal examination was 6.4%. Of the patients, 20% were (almost) entirely free from symptoms of depression during the observation period, 5% were continuously depressive. There were no suicides. Patients [27] felt some decrease in working capacity during the depressions, but only 7 were unable to continue their previous work and 3 changed jobs to prevent relapses. Of the patients, 14 were sick-listed for more than 1 yr of the observation period. Favorable factors for long-term course were high intellectual capacity (for work prognosis, W), afraid of hurting others (W), white collar work (W), slight depression of mood during index period (for clinical course, C) and favorable immediate outcome after index period (W). Unfavorable factors for long-term course were low intellectual capacity (W), hysteroid personality (C), syntonic personality (W), asthenic personality, sensitivity to praise (C), tendency to feel under observation (W) and some symptoms during the index period: tendency to seclusion (C), ideas of reference (C), dryness of mouth (C), difficulty in falling asleep (C), dreamlike feeling (C) and supplicating attidude (C). Mosology, care and prevention of depressive states are discussed.

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