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Preferred term

melancholia  

Definition

  • Melancholia is a term for a specific type of mental illness characterized by depression, brooding, mental and physical apathy, moroseness, mourn-fulness, wistfulness, and inhibition of activity. It is also referred to as endogenous depression or mental suffering and it results in a state of pessimism where the individual feels that the future is blocked and unchangeable and that they are unworthy and guilt ridden. [Source: Cultural Sociology of Mental Illness: An A-to-Z Guide; Melancholia]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/melancholia

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