ANXIETY DISORDERS AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS IN A CLINIC SAMPLE OF SEASONALAND NONSEASONAL DEPRESSIVES

Thirty-eight patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) were comp ared with 33 non-seasonal recurrent major depressives (non-SAD) who pr esented during the winter months for differences in the prevalence of concurrent anxiety disorders and the impact of anxiety on treatment re sponse. SAD patients received light therapy, whereas non-SAD patients received antidepressant medications. There was no differences in the p revalence of any anxiety disorder, or on scores of anxiety on the Hami lton Rating Scale for Depression between the SAD and non-SAD groups. T he presence of any anxiety disorder was associated with a better respo nse rate in SAD patients, and an inferior response rate in non-SAD pat ients. The findings refute previous suggestions that anxiety is more c ommon in SAD than in non-SAD, but suggest that the presence of anxiety may be associated with differential treatment response rates.