The clinical manifestations of depressive disorders in neurologic illnesses are generally the same as those for primary depressive disorders. Appearance and behavior reveal sad, ant times, anxious and depressed-looking person with reddened, downcast eyes.
Core features of depressive syndromes include sadness, tearfulness and an ability to enjoy oneself or take an interest in usual activities. Tearfulness is a common symptoms depression occurring in over 60 percent of the cases.
Tearfulness may be response to stress rather than an expression of sorrow.
There may be tearfulness in women and sometimes in men. In the latter, tearfulness suggests moderate to severe depression as males find it highly embarrassing to shed tears and are able to control their tears better than females.
Five grades of tearfulness were recorded:
*No tears
*Feels like crying
*Cries at home
*Cries during the interview
*The patient feels ‘beyond tears’
Tearfulness symptom of depression
