Depressive personality disorder (also known as melancholic personality disorder) is a psychiatric diagnosis that denotes a personality disorder with depressive features.

Originally included in the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-II, depressive personality disorder was removed from the DSM-III and DSM-III-R.^[1] The latest description of depressive personality disorder is described in Appendix B in the DSM-IV-TR. Although no longer listed as a personality disorder in the DSM-5, the diagnosis of subclinical Other Specified Personality Disorder and Unspecified Personality Disorder can be used to classify an equivalent of depressive personality disorder.^[2] In the DSM-5, it has been reconsidered for reinstatement as a diagnosis in an alternative approach to personality disorders in the form of "general criteria for personality disorder" which primarily assesses "impairments in personality functioning".^[2]

While depressive personality disorder shares some similarities with mood disorders such as dysthymia, it also shares many similarities with other personality disorders including avoidant personality disorder. Some researchers argue that depressive personality disorder is sufficiently distinct from these other conditions so as to warrant a separate diagnosis.

The DSM-IV defines depressive personality disorder as "a pervasive pattern of depressive cognitions and behaviors beginning by early adulthood and occurring in a variety of contexts."^[1] Depressive personality disorder occurs before, during, and after major depressive episodes, making it a distinct diagnosis not included in the definition of either major depressive episodes or dysthymic disorder. Specifically, five or more of the following must be present most days for at least two years in order for a diagnosis of depressive personality disorder to be made:

• Usual mood is dominated by dejection, gloominess, cheerlessness, joylessness and unhappiness
• Self-concept centres on beliefs of inadequacy, worthlessness and low self-esteem
• Is critical, blaming and derogatory towards the self
• Is brooding and given to worry
• Is negativistic, critical and judgmental toward others
• Is pessimistic
• Is prone to feeling guilty or remorseful^[1]

Studies in 2000-2002 have found more of a correlation between depressive personality disorder and dysthymia than a comparable group of people without depressive personality disorder.^[3][4]

Theodore Millon identified five subtypes of depression.^[1][5] Any individual depressive may exhibit none, or one or more of the following:

Not all patients with a depressive disorder fall into a subtype. These subtypes are multidimensional in that patients usually experience multiple subtypes, instead of being limited to fitting into one subtype category. Currently, this set of subtypes is associated with melancholic personality disorders. All depression spectrum personality disorders are melancholic and can be looked at in terms of these subtypes.