SYMPTOM DIFFERENCES IN MAJOR DEPRESSION, DYSTHYMIA, PANIC DISORDER, AND GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER

Objective: The authors compared symptom features of specific subtypes of depressive and anxiety disorders. Method: Psychiatric outpatients w ith moderate levels of psychopathology and DSM-III diagnoses of major depression, dysthymia, panic disorder, or generalized anxiety disorder were given five standard measures of symptoms of anxiety and depressi ve disorders. Most of the outpatients were white, and most were middle -class. Results: Principal components analysis revealed 12 orthogonal symptom components. Discriminant function analysis indicated that anxi ety was distinguished by specific autonomic arousal symptoms, threat-r elated cognitions, and subjective anxiety and tension. Discriminant fu nction analysis also indicated that depression was distinguished by an hedonia, cognitions of personal loss and failure, and dysphoric mood. Conclusions: As nosological categories, major depression and panic dis order were better differentiated by specific symptom markers than dyst hymia and generalized anxiety disorder.