Anxiety and depression in affective disorders

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology
• Mental Health Research

Background:

• Anxiety and depression are common psychiatric conditions with varying presentations.
• Understanding the trajectory of anxiety and depressive symptoms during inpatient treatment is crucial for effective therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess anxiety and depression levels in inpatients with specific disorders (endogenous/neurotic depression, anxiety neurosis, phobic disorders) upon admission and discharge.
• To compare patient symptom levels with psychiatric and general population reference groups.
• To evaluate the impact of inpatient treatment on anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Main Methods:

• Self-rating and observer-rating scales were used to assess anxiety and depression.
• 414 inpatients diagnosed with endogenous depression, neurotic depression, anxiety neurosis, or phobic disorders were included.
• Results were compared against a reference group of 2,493 psychiatric inpatients and 1,952 individuals from the general population.

Main Results:

• On admission, patients with anxiety neurosis and depressive disorders showed significantly higher anxiety than the psychiatric reference group.
• Depressive groups exhibited the highest depressivity; anxiety neurosis and phobic groups showed levels similar to or below the reference group.
• Treatment led to marked anxiety reduction in depressive patients but not in anxiety neurosis patients. Depressivity decreased more in endogenous than neurotic depression.

Conclusions:

• Inpatient treatment generally reduces anxiety and depressivity, but anxiety symptoms may persist in patients with anxiety neurosis.
• Endogenous depression shows a more favorable response to treatment regarding depressivity compared to neurotic depression.
• The relationship between anxiety and psychomotor disturbances shifts from agitation on admission to retardation on discharge.