Depressive phenomenology in North and South American patients

Abstract

Patients newly admitted to two North American health centers and one South American (Colombian) center were assessed according to a standardized protocol, with a structured interview, a symptom checklist and a depression scale. The patients were suffering from major depressive disorders with endogenous features. There was an impressive similarity in symptoms of depression across cultures, supporting the idea of a universal core depressive syndrome. Somatization indexes, psychomotor components of depression and levels of psychopathology differed between USA and Colombian samples. A general discussion of potential determinants of these cross-cultural differences is presented.