[Depression and anxiety: from clinic to pharmacological treatment]

Either as a symptom or as a trait of an axis I disorder, anxiety is frequently associated with depressive episodes. Its treatment depends mainly of the syndrome in which it is included. While the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors seem to be indicated in depression with comorbid anxiety disorders and in anxious depression, in agitated depression may be preferable to indicate mood stabilizers or sedative antipsychotics. Benzodiazepines may be useful at the beginning of the treatment of these special forms of depression, but it is advisable to tapper them off once the affective and/or the anxiety disorders improve.