A survey of an inner-city population of working-class and single mothers is described and the prevalence of anxiety and depression reported using two related diagnostic schemes, Bedford College caseness and DSM-III-R. This acts as an introduction to an analysis which indicates that adverse experiences in childhood and adolescence (involving parental indifference, and sexual and physical abuse) considerably raise risk of both depression and anxiety conditions (with the exception of mild agoraphobia and simple phobia) in adult life.