Psychotic Depression

Psychotic Depression (also known as Major Depressive Disorder with psychotic features in the DSM-5) is a subtype of depression characterized by psychosis (delusions, hallucinations) in addition to mood changes. It requires the treatment of the underlying mood disorder first to resolve the psychosis.

• For psychotic depression, treatment with an antidepressant-antipsychotic combination is better than treating with an antidepressant or antipsychotic alone.^[1] For example, treatment with olanzapine plus sertraline has been shown to be efficacious.^[2] It remains uncertain how long one should remain on this combination treatment once the psychotic depressive episode has remitted.

• Perera, J. K., Rosenblat, J. D., & Flint, A. J. (2017). Dementia with Lewy bodies presenting as psychotic depression. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 51(11), 1160-1161.