Depression with and without a history of psychotic symptoms in the general population: sociodemographic and clinical characteristics

• Published in: Journal of affective disorders Vol. 273; pp. 247 - 251
• Main Authors: BENARD, Victoire, PIGNON, Baptiste, GEOFFROY, Pierre A., BENRADIA, Imane, ROELANDT, Jean-Luc, ROLLAND, Benjamin, FOVET, Thomas, D'HONDT, Fabien, THOMAS, Pierre, VAIVA, Guillaume, AMAD, Ali
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.08.2020; Elsevier
• Subjects: Bipolar disorder; Continuum; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major - epidemiology; France - epidemiology; Humans; Life Sciences; Major depressive episode; Psychotic Disorders - epidemiology; Psychotic symptoms; Suicide; France; Continuum; Bipolar disorder; Major depressive episode; Suicide; Psychotic symptoms
• ISSN: 0165-0327; 1573-2517
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.04.048

•We investigated the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of major depressive episode (MDE) with (MDE-HPS+) and without a history of psychotic symptoms (MDE-HPS) in the general population.•The proportion of migrants among MDE-HPS+ subjects was higher when compared to that among MDE-HPS-•MDE-HPS+ was significantly associated with a history of a manic episode and with a personal history of a suicide attempt.•Co-occurring psychiatric disorders were more frequent in the MDE group following a gradient according to the level of psychotic symptoms : The aim of this study was to find the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of major depressive episode (MDE) with (MDE-HPS+) and without a history of psychotic symptoms (MDE-HPS) in the general population. : The Mental Health in the General Population survey interviewed 38,694 individuals in France by using the MINI. The prevalence and sociodemographic and clinical correlates of MDE-HPS+ were assessed. : Of the sample, 11.2% were diagnosed with current MDE and among them, 39.3% presented a history of at least one psychotic symptom (hallucination or delusion). Patients with MDE-HPS+ were younger with more severe social impairment than those with MDE-HPS-. We also found a higher proportion of three generations of migrants in the MDE-HPS+ group. Comorbid psychiatric disorders such as a history of a manic episode, alcohol use disorder, social anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, and a personal history of a suicide attempt were more frequent in patients with MDE-HPS+ than in those with MDE-HPS-. Finally, we found a specific gradient of severity for psychiatric comorbid disorders depending on the number of psychotic symptoms lifetime in MDE. : The study also has an observational cross-sectional design that does not permit causal inferences, and it is difficult to eliminate recall bias and reporting errors. : In the general population, patients with MDE-HPS+, when compared to MDE-HPS-, presented with a more severe clinical profile, with increased rates of psychiatric comorbidities, particularly a history of bipolar disorder and a history of a suicide attempt.