A patient presents with early morning awakening and loss of appetite. Which type of depression is most likely?

Appeared in: NORCET 10 Prelims-2026

Explanation

Melancholic depression is a subtype of major depression characterized by specific and prominent somatic (physical) symptoms.
The patient's presentation of early morning awakening (terminal insomnia) and loss of appetite are hallmark features of this subtype.
Other classic signs include a profound loss of pleasure (anhedonia) and a mood that is typically worse in the morning (diurnal variation).

Option B: This term describes the severity of the illness, not a specific subtype. It indicates fewer symptoms and less functional impairment.
Option C: This term describes the severity of the illness, not a specific subtype. It indicates a high number of symptoms and significant functional impairment.
Option D: Atypical depression is characterized by symptoms that are the opposite of those presented. This includes hypersomnia (oversleeping) and hyperphagia (increased appetite and weight gain).

Visual 1: Infographic: A comparative table contrasting the key features of Melancholic Depression versus Atypical Depression, focusing on sleep, appetite, mood reactivity, and diurnal variation.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Differentiation of depression subtypes based on clinical presentation to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
Accurately identifying depression subtypes is crucial as it can guide treatment choices; for instance, melancholic depression may respond better to certain classes of antidepressants or to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
Nurses play a vital role in assessing and documenting specific symptoms like sleep patterns and appetite changes, as these observations are key to differential diagnosis.
What if the patient reported sleeping 12 hours a day and gaining weight? The most likely diagnosis would shift to Atypical Depression, highlighting the importance of specific symptom assessment.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key symptoms presented in the question stem: 'early morning awakening' and 'loss of appetite'.
Second, analyze the options. Recognize that 'Mild' and 'Severe' are specifiers of severity, not distinct clinical subtypes with unique symptom clusters.
Third, recall the defining features of the remaining subtypes. Melancholic depression is classically associated with insomnia (especially early awakening) and appetite loss.
Fourth, contrast this with Atypical depression, which is characterized by the opposite features: hypersomnia and increased appetite.
Conclude that the patient's symptoms are the classic presentation of Melancholic depression.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Differentiation of depression subtypes based on clinical presentation.
Stem keywords: early morning awakening, loss of appetite, depression
Lead-in keywords: most likely
Negative lead-in flag: false

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