Which specifier indicates catatonic symptoms?

• A. With catatonia
• B. With melancholic features
• C. With peripartum onset
• D. With seasonal pattern

Answer: (A)

Catatonia is identified by a specific cluster of motor and behavioral signs—things like stupor or marked immobility, waxy flexibility, negativism, peculiar posturing, echolalia, and echopraxia. When these catatonic features occur during a mood episode, the appropriate specifier is “with catatonia.” This label flags that the mood disorder presents with prominent catatonic symptoms, which can affect both prognosis and treatment choices (for example, responsiveness to benzodiazepines or potential need for electroconvulsive therapy). The other options point to different feature sets—melancholic features describe a pattern of depressive symptoms, peripartum onset refers to mood episode onset around childbirth, and seasonal pattern relates to mood changes tied to seasons—none of which denote catatonia.