What is the link between depression and anxiety disorders?
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Dr. Michael Mufson answered:Two-thirds of people with anxiety disorders also suffer from depression at some point in their lives, and 58% of people with depression also have an anxiety disorder. This combination is so common that many mental health experts now consider it a distinct disorder, known as mixed anxiety-depressive disorder (MADD). The hallmark of MADD is pronounced anxiety and rumination -- often veering toward morbid thoughts -- that occurs during an episode of major depression. Women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with MADD.
The presence of depression in people with anxiety disorders increases the severity of the illnesses, the likelihood of alcohol or substance abuse, and the risk of suicide. It also reduces the chances that treatment will succeed, unless both disorders are fully treated.
In other cases, people may have one of these disorders first, recover from it, and then develop the other. Anxiety can also be a symptom of depressive disorders, and depression can be a symptom of anxiety disorders.
Anxiety and depression are much more closely linked than was once thought. Many scientists now believe that anxiety and depression are different expressions of a single, shared underlying biological problem. They point out, for example, that the same kinds of abnormalities in neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the brain) that promote depression can also trigger anxiety. Researchers have also found that the brain structures that react to perceived threats are hypersensitive in some people who have either depression or anxiety disorders, or both.
Two-thirds of people with anxiety disorders also suffer from depression at some point in their lives, and 58% of people with depression also have an anxiety disorder. This combination is so common that many mental health experts now consider it a... More -
Dr. Kenneth Rogers of Greenville Health System answered:Depression and anxiety disorders are different, but people with depression often experience symptoms similar to those of an anxiety disorder, such as nervousness, irritability, and problems sleeping and concentrating. But each disorder has its own causes and its own emotional and behavioral symptoms. Anxiety, like depression, frequently begins with a stressful event such as the death of a loved one; however, in many cases there are no identifiable triggers. There is evidence from recent studies that suggest that the two disorders may be more linked than scientists have previously thought.
Depression and anxiety disorders are different, but people with depression often experience symptoms similar to those of an anxiety disorder, such as nervousness, irritability, and problems sleeping and concentrating. But each disorder has its own... More
