Assessing Demoralization and Depression in the Setting of Medical Disease.

Objective: the aim of this study was to assess the presence of demoralization and major depression in the setting of medical disease. Method: 807 consecutive outpatients recruited from different medical settings (gastroenterology, cardiology, endocrinology, and oncology) were assessed according to dsm-iv criteria and diagnostic criteria for psychosomatic research, using semistructured research interviews. Results: demoralization was identified in 245 patients (30.4%), while major depression was present in 135 patients (16.7%). even though there was a considerable overlap between the 2 diagnoses, 59 patients (43.7%) with major depression were not classified as demoralized, and 169 patients (69.0%) with demoralization did not satisfy the criteria for major depression. Conclusions: the findings suggest a high prevalence of demoralization in the medically ill and the feasibility of a differentiation between demoralization and depression. Further research may determine whether demoralization, alone or in association with major depression, entails prognostic and clinical implications.