Abnormal Subjective Time Experience in Depression

Abstract

Abnormality of subjective time experience is well recognised in psychiatric illness. Earlier authors suggested that slowed time experience in depression is an aspect of psychomotor retardation, while more recently it has been argued that this disturbance is non-specifically linked to the global severity of the depressive syndrome. This study offers evidence that both views can be justified: slowed time awareness is a common symptom of depression, related particularly to retardation, and to the severity of the mood disturbance. Some of the experimental difficulties in this kind of research are illustrated.