Self-awareness of depression and life events in three groups of patients: Psychotic depression, obsessive–compulsive disorder and chronic medical illness in North India

BACKGROUND: Depression is a common experience across cultures although not all languages have words describing depression. AIM: To identify patients' perception and awareness of depression as an illness. METHODS: Sixty psychiatric patients (each with depression or obsessive–compulsive disorder [OCD]) were compared with 30 medical patients with chronic physical illness and assessed on levels of awareness of depression in relation to life events. RESULTS: Life events were more in patients with OCD compared to other two groups. All the three groups of patients had major depression. CONCLUSION: Absence of help-seeking for depression in patients with OCD and physical illness possibly indicate low level of awareness of depression in these patients. The findings are discussed in context of clinical practice.