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Who is MADD? Mixed anxiety depressive disorder in the general population
Jan Spijker1, Neeltje Batelaan, Ron de Graaf
1De Gelderse Roos, Mental Health Care, Ede, The Netherlands. JSpijker@trimbos.nl
Background:
Diagnostic criteria for (subthreshold) mixed anxiety depression (MADD) were proposed in DSM-IV. Yet the usefulness of this classification is questioned. We therefore assessed the prevalence of MADD, and investigated whether MADD adds to separate classifications of pure subthreshold depression and anxiety.
Method:
Data of the Netherlands Mental Health and Incidence Study were used.
Results:
The 12-month prevalence of MADD was 0.6%. Between the three subthreshold categories few differences were found with regard to socio-demographic variables, care utilisation and functioning. Course in MADD seems more favourable and MADD is not a stable diagnosis over time.
Limitations:
The MADD criteria used in the present study differed slightly from the proposed criteria in DSM-IV and sample sizes were small.
Conclusions:
Given these results, MADD is not a relevant diagnosis in terms of prevalence and consequences when classified according to the currently proposed criteria.
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