Disorganisation and depression: a re-examination of how we think and speak when depressed.

Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci

Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Quebec, Canada.

Published: April 2025


Category Ranking

98%

Total Visits

921

Avg Visit Duration

2 minutes

Citations

20

Article Abstract

Disorganised thinking in severe mental illness seriously cripples social functions. Historically, the study of disorganisation has primarily concentrated on schizophrenia, utilizing tools designed to assess formal thought disorder (FTD). This review examines the characteristics, prevalence, and possible neural correlates of FTD within the framework of depressive disorders. Our focus is on disturbances in thought, language, and communication associated with depression, alongside the relevant subjective experiences. We also discuss the challenges and opportunities in using FTD as a predictor of future illness trajectory and advocate for using the broader construct of depressive disorganisation. We review the disruption of brain networks associated with FTD, such as the salience, language, and default mode networks, within the context of depression. In conclusion, we advocate for increased focus on personal narratives, computational psychopathology, and a broader emphasis on thought dynamics to enhance the identification of disorganisation in depression. Renewed emphasis on this neglected area of psychopathology could provide insights on improving employment and social functioning for individuals affected by mood disorders.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00406-025-01994-1DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

disorganisation depression
8
disorganisation
4
depression re-examination
4
re-examination speak
4
speak depressed
4
depressed disorganised
4
disorganised thinking
4
thinking severe
4
severe mental
4
mental illness
4

Similar Publications

Associations between psychotic experience dimensions and polygenic liability to schizophrenia in a longitudinal birth cohort.

BJPsych Open

September 2025

Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, Bristol, UK.

Background: Some psychotic experiences in the general population show associations with higher schizophrenia and other mental health-related polygenic risk scores (PRSs), but studies have not usually included interviewer-rated positive, negative and disorganised dimensions, which show distinct associations in clinical samples.

Aims: To investigate associations of these psychotic experience dimensions primarily with schizophrenia PRS and, secondarily, with other relevant PRSs.

Method: Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) birth cohort participants were assessed for positive, negative and disorganised psychotic experience dimensions from interviews, and for self-rated negative symptoms, at 24 years of age.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

NEGR1 deficiency disrupts lipid metabolism and steroidogenesis in Leydig cells, linking testosterone to behavior.

J Lipid Res

August 2025

Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Neuronal growth regulator 1 (NEGR1) has been identified as a critical risk factor for major depressive disorders in humans. Although NEGR1 is predominantly expressed in the brain, its deletion in mice (Negr1) results in abnormalities in peripheral tissues, suggesting a role beyond the nervous system, particularly in intracellular lipid trafficking. However, the role of NEGR1 in testosterone production has not yet been elucidated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: The cerebellum has traditionally been found to be the only coordinator of motor functions, however, recent studies have shown that the cerebellum also has a role in cognitive and affective processing. CCAS is characterized by impaired executive functions, visual-spatial disorganization, emotional dysregulation, changes in personality and language deficits. The cognitive and affective symptoms that make up the CCAS have been attributed to disorders of the cerebral hemispheres, specifically in association areas and paralimbic regions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The rugose surface trait in pepper ( L.), marked by ridges and depressions on the fruit epidermis, is linked to improved fruit texture. To investigate its regulatory basis, histological, textural, and transcriptomic differences, contrasting genotypes were analyzed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

EEG microstates, acute phase negative symptoms of schizophrenia and antipsychotic treatment response.

Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry

August 2025

Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland; Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.

EEG microstates are transient scalp topographies reflecting whole-brain electric potential that remain quasi-stable for 60-120 ms. Microstates exhibitalterations across all phases of schizophrenia; especially an increased microstate C and a decreased microstate D were linked to aberrant salience. We aimed to investigate the relationship of microstates with illness severity in the positive, negative, disorganized, excited and depressed symptoms domains, and with response to antipsychotics.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF