Life stress and symptom pattern in out-patient depression

The relationship was examined between symptoms rated in a sample of out-patient depressives, and measures of life stress derived from a separate interview. There was an association between symptoms reflecting the endogenous-neurotic distinction and life stress. However, the association was relatively weak, and was mainly with total social problems at the time of presentation, rather than with life events at onset. These findings are consistent with other studies which indicate that the absence of prior life events and the presence of the endogenous symptom pattern are only weakly related.