Depression with Atypical Features

Patients with atypical depression eat more than normal and gain weight, sleep excessively and report feeling as if arms or legs were heavy and leaden. They may also be highly sensitive to rejection which is not limited to periods of depression. Atypical depression tends to be common in younger patients (teenagers and young adults), and symptoms often include anxiety. If the atypical patient has seasonal affective disorder (SAD), they may respond well to light therapy, which is not indicated in other types of depression.

Please see:

Section II: "Managing Major Depression Disorder"
CANMAT – Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Pharmacological Treatment of Depression
(1st Edition Rev., 1999)
P. 21

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