ABSTRACT
Depressive illnesses vary in severity. M ilder illnesses are m uch m ore com m on in general practice and are often called 'neurotic ' or 'reactive' depression, whereas the m ore severe forms of the illness are called 'm anic-depressive psychosis' or 'endogenous' depression. There are also a variety of term s to describe different types of depression, although these do not necessarily further our understanding of the condition. Many, if not most, of these term s are m ore useful for the purposes of research and adm inistration rather than clinical practice.
