Pseudo-melancholia

Abstract

Objective:

An incorrect false positive diagnosis of melancholia can lead to inappropriate treatment and illness prolongation. This paper therefore seeks to introduce the concept of ‘pseudo-melancholia’ to capture such instances and provide clinical examples of contributing at-risk scenarios.

Methods:

The author draws on clinical experience to provide exemplars of circumstances most risking a false positive diagnosis of melancholia.

Results:

Pseudo-melancholia can result from invalid measures of melancholia and from several functional and organic conditions presenting with suggested melancholic features.

Conclusions:

Recognising high-risk pseudo-melancholia scenarios has the potential to advance a change in diagnostic formulation, provide a more diagnosis-specific intervention and so avert a secondary diagnosis of ‘treatment resistant depression’.