Depression Spectrum Disease versus Pure Depressive Disease: Some Further Data

Abstract

In a recent letter to this Journal, Galdi (1974) stated, ‘Through what is … a genetic approach to classification, Winokur and associates … reported the isolation of two subtypes of unipolar depressive disorder differentiated by age of onset and contrasting family history pattern.’ These subtypes (Winokur, 1974) are termed depression spectrum disease (early-onset; most likely female; familial alcoholism and/or antisocial personality) and pure depressive disease (late onset; equally male or female; little familial alcoholism and/or antisocial personality).