Psychiatry Investig.
2024 Jun;21(6):561-572. 10.30773/pi.2023.0419.
The Clinical Characteristics and Manifestation of Anxious Depression Among Patients With Major Depressive Disorders-Results From a Taiwan Multicenter Study
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- 2College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- 3Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- 4Department of Medical Education, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- 5Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli, Taiwan
- 6Graduate Institute of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- 7Department of Psychiatry, New Taipei City Tucheng Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- KMID: 2556611
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.30773/pi.2023.0419
Abstract
Objective
Anxious depression is a prevalent characteristic observed in Asian psychiatric patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aims to investigate the prevalence and clinical presentation of anxious depression in Taiwanese individuals diagnosed with MDD.
Methods
We recruited psychiatric outpatients aged over 18 who had been diagnosed with MDD through clinical interviews. This recruitment took place at five hospitals located in northern Taiwan. We gathered baseline clinical and demographic information from the participants. Anxious depression was identified using a threshold of an anxiety/somatization factor score ≥7 on the 21-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D).
Results
In our study of 399 patients (84.21% female), 64.16% met the criteria for anxious depression. They tended to be older, married, less educated, with more children, and an older age of onset. Anxious depression patients had higher HAM-D and Clinical Global Impression–Severity scale score, more panic disorder (without agoraphobia), and exhibited symptoms like agitation, irritability, concentration difficulties, psychological and somatic anxiety, somatic complaints, hypochondriasis, weight loss, and increased insight. Surprisingly, their suicide rates did not significantly differ from non-anxious depression patients. This highlights the importance of recognizing and addressing these unique characteristics.
Conclusion
Our study findings unveiled that the prevalence of anxious depression among Taiwanese outpatients diagnosed with MDD was lower compared to inpatients but substantially higher than the reported rates in European countries and the United States. Furthermore, patients with anxious depression exhibited a greater occurrence of somatic symptoms.
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