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As one of the services provided by NSWADTC, information we feel may be of general interest to those experiencing difficulties with anxiety and depression will be regularly added to this site and will be retained on this page. The 'did you
know?' column which appears in the right panel of each page of this site contains a headline for the information of interest which will appear in greater detail here. At all times we will endeavor to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, but at no time is the information intended to substitute for that provided by another registered psychologist, doctor or other appropriate health professional. We hope you find the information both of interest and of benefit in understanding anxiety and depression.
20-10-05: Up to 96% of people diagnosed with depression are experiencing significant anxiety. Some estimates have indicated that as many as 96% of people diagnosed with depression are experiencing significant anxiety and that these individuals are at greater risk of suicide than people with depression symptoms alone. Reference- Nott D.J. (1999). Care of depressed patients with anxiety symptoms. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 60, 23-27. A study conducted in a primary care setting in 1995 found that the majority of patients had a mixed anxiety-depression presentation (42.3%), or depression with comorbid anxiety (19.2%). Only 12.8% were experiencing anxiety alone and 10.3% had depression alone. Reference Stein, M.B., Kirk, P., Prabhu V. et al (1995). Mixed Anxiety Depression in a primary care clinic. Journal of Affective Disorders, 34, 79-84. Similar findings were also obtained by the UK national comorbidity survey conducted at that time. Importantly, when patients display both anxiety and depression symptoms at presentation the illness is typically more severe leading to greater psychosocial impairment.
Furthermore, when anxiety and depression symptoms occur together it is usually essential that the anxiety symptoms be the primary focus of treatment. In most cases feeling trapped or overwhelmed by anxiety leads to the onset of depression and subsequently elimination of unnecessary anxiety symptoms typically enables immediate remission of depressive symptomatology. (click or on the depression link on the start page to understand more about how feeling trapped by issues such as prolonged anxiety can result in depression).
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