[Correlation between depressive and anxiety symptoms, distress and functioning].

AIM

The aim of the study was to define the correlation between anxiety/depressive symptoms, distress and functioning.

METHOD

The research is based on the analysis of 104 persons (65 women, 39 men), who were patients of psychiatrists (42 persons), or general physician attenders (62 persons) complaining of anxiety or depressive symptoms. Distress was estimated with the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30), psychopathological symptoms and diagnoses were evaluated with the Present State Examination (PSE) and the level of functioning with Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF). The intensity of ICD-10 symptoms was calculated for: generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, social phobia, panic disorder, depressive disorder and dysthymia.

RESULTS

The lowest score of distress was found in the group with sub-clinical, sole anxiety or depressive symptoms. An intermediate level was present in the group with anxiety and mixed anxiety-depressive disorders, and the highest in the group with depression. The functioning scores were in an inverse order.

CONCLUSIONS

The differences in scores of distress and functioning between groups of patients with anxiety disorders, mixed anxiety-depressive disorders and depression are dependent on the intensity of depressive symptoms and are independent of the intensity of anxiety symptoms.