Question

The characteristic symptoms of depression with psychotic features are _______.
A. Loss of appetite
B. Hallucination
C. Extensive psychomotor activity
D. Feelings of worthlessness
E. Hypersomnia
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

• A. A & amp; B Only
• B. B & amp; D Only
• C. C & amp; E Only
• D. D & amp; E Only

Hint:

A "psychotic feature" in clinical psychology always involves a break from shared reality.
This is uniquely marked by hallucinations (such as hearing critical voices) and delusions (which can manifest as extreme, delusional feelings of guilt or worthlessness).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks us to identify the specific features that define major depressive disorder (MDD) with the specifier "with psychotic features."

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
According to clinical diagnostic manuals (DSM-5 ICD-11), depression with psychotic features involves standard symptoms of major depression accompanied by delusions and/or hallucinations.
These psychotic symptoms are typically mood-congruent, involving depressive themes of severe inadequacy, guilt, or worthlessness.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:

• Let us evaluate each listed clinical symptom:

• A. Loss of appetite: This is a somatic symptom commonly seen in standard depressive episodes, but does not define a psychotic specifier.

• B. Hallucination: This is a primary diagnostic symptom of a psychotic state. Depressed individuals with psychotic features may hear auditory hallucinations criticizing them.

• C. Extensive psychomotor activity: Typically, psychotic depression is marked by severe psychomotor retardation, though extreme agitation can occur. It is not a defining characteristic of the psychotic specifier.

• D. Feelings of worthlessness: This is a core depressive symptom. In psychotic depression, these feelings intensify to delusional proportions, such as delusions of ruin, terminal illness, or moral culpability.

• E. Hypersomnia: This is a vegetative symptom of atypical depression, not a specific marker for psychotic features.

• Thus, B (Hallucination) and D (Feelings of worthlessness, reaching delusional severity) are the defining characteristic symptoms of depression with psychotic features.

Step 4: Final Answer:
The correct option is B & amp; D Only, which corresponds to Option (B).