COURSE OF DEPRESSION IN PATIENTS WITH COMORBID ANXIETY DISORDERS

This study examined the extent to which the presence of comorbid anxie ty disorder affected the course of depression. 650 depressed outpatien ts visiting general medical clinicians and mental health specialists w ere followed for 1 or 2 years. All types of anxiety increased the prob ability of a new depressive episode among patients with subthreshold d epression. Co-occurring panic and phobia decreased the likelihood of r emission. The initial number of depressive symptoms was greatest among depressed patients with comorbid anxiety and this relatively higher l evel persisted over two years. The findings emphasize the poor clinica l prognosis associated with comorbid anxiety disorder.