Comparison of major depressive patients with a predominantly sad versus anxious mood

One hundred and seventy-seven patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) experienced a mood disturbance that could be characterized as predominantly sad (55%), anxious (31%) or mixed (14%). Patients that had a predominantly sad mood were more likely to be hypersomnic, anhedonic, younger and seen in an outpatient setting. Predominantly anxious MDD patients were more likely to have been hospitalized, agitated, psychotic, incapacitated, insomnic, and to have had higher post-dexamethasone cortisol levels.