Distinctive clinical characteristics and suicidal tendencies of patients with anxious depression

J Nerv Ment Dis. 2011 Jan;199(1):42-8. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0b013e3182043b60.

Abstract

This study evaluated clinical characteristics and suicidality of patients with anxious depression in a large cohort of samples. Data were collected from 1003 patients who were depressed. A total of 461 patients were diagnosed with anxious depression and 542 were diagnosed with nonanxious depression. After adjusting for the severity of depression, those in the anxious depression group had significantly younger onset age, had been suffering from depression for a longer period, were more likely to experience a recurrence, and obtained lower scores on a scale assessing quality of life. The anxious depression group was characterized by a significantly higher proportion of individuals reporting significant suicidal ideation and previous suicide attempts, and those in this group tended to obtain higher scores on the Scale for Suicide Ideation. The present findings that were drawn from detailed evaluation of suicidality strongly support previous results assessed only with the help of clinical reports. More attention should be paid to assess suicide risk in these patients.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Anxiety Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Anxiety Disorders / epidemiology
  • Anxiety Disorders / psychology*
  • Cohort Studies
  • Depressive Disorder / diagnosis*
  • Depressive Disorder / epidemiology
  • Depressive Disorder / psychology*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • Suicidal Ideation*