A Case of Depressive Personality Disorder: Aligning Theory, Practice, and Clinical Research

Depressive personality disorder (DPD) is highly studied and common in clinical settings. Nevertheless,
it is rife with controversies and often overshadowed by major depression and dysthymia with which it
shares many similarities but also is clinically distinct. Possibly as a result, DPD is underdiagnosed and
misunderstood in clinical care. Thus the goal of this practice review is to present a case from psychiatric
clinical work illustrating how DPD may be commonly overlooked in routine care, and how the
conceptualization of this case and its treatment plan changed course once DPD was considered by treating
staff, ultimately contributing to the successful outcome of the case. Questions elicited by the case are
subsequently discussed in the context of the empirical literature on DPD, allowing for a clearer picture
to emerge on DPD and its role in the development, course, and treatment of depression.