title: Melancholia in Latin American studies: a distinct mood disorder for the ICD-11.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Melancholic depression is a lifetime diagnosis, typically with recurrent episodes. Melancholia, a syndrome with a long history and distinctive psychopathological features, is differentiated from major depression by the DSM-IV specifiers and partly described in the International Classification of Diseases - 10th edition. Within the present classification, it is frequently seen in severely ill patients with major depression and bipolar disorder. Nevertheless, it has a distinctive psychopathology and biological homogeneity in clinical experience and laboratory test markers, and it is differentially responsive to specific treatment interventions according to international studies. The objective of this study is to review the literature published by Latin American authors about Melancholia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a systematic search to identify scientific literature published by Latin American authors gathering information relevant to the revision of the classification of mental and behavioral disorders in patients with melancholic depression of the International Classification of Diseases - 10th edition. The review was specifically focused on literature from Brazil and Latin America in order to examine the specific Latin American contribution for the study of melancholia as a distinct entity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Melancholia can be identified as a separate mood disorder with unique psychopathology and psychoneuroendocrinology, worthy of separate attention in the classification systems. We therefore suggest that melancholia be positioned as a distinct, identifiable mood disorder that requires specific treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. juruena@fmrp.usp.br
authors.forename: Mario F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Juruena
authors.forename: Helena M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Calil
authors.forename: Marcelo P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Fleck
authors.forename: Jose A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Del Porto
mesh_terms: D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D007843:Latin America