title: Depression and demoralization: phenomenologic differences and research perspectives.
abstract: Demoralization may be viewed as a combination of distress and subjective incompetence. The main problem in demoralization is the sense of incompetence experienced by the demoralized individual; this sense of incompetence results from uncertainty as to the appropriate direction of action. By contrast, the major difficulty in endogenomorphic depression is a decreased magnitude of motivation even when the appropriate direction of action is known. This distinction is important not only because demoralization appears to be a major public health problem, but also because subjective incompetence appears to influence the course and worsen the prognosis of both nonpsychiatric and psychiatric disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: de Figueiredo
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D006380:Helplessness, Learned; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D009013:Morale; D009042:Motivation; D010552:Personality Assessment; D012649:Self Concept; D012918:Social Alienation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology