Essay: Nature and course of individuals with co-morbid depression

Sample Essay

Individuals with comorbid depression and anxiety usually exhibit greater illness severity and a lower treatment response than those with either disorder alone. As a result, more commonly quality of life and social function are more greatly impaired. In relation to nature and course, the research conducted by Wittchen et al., 1991; Vollrath and Angst, 1991and Breslau et al., 1995, shows that it is evident that depression often develops secondary to anxiety more often than depression followed by anxiety. In support for this solid argument, Wittchen et al. (1998) conducted a prospective research basing on the EDSP (Early Developmental Stages of Psychopathology).

In their research, they examined the proportions of patients with pure and comorbid anxiety disorders at baseline in a given representative population sample. The study used the subject age 14 to 24 years, who had GAD alone or pure anxiety for the study. And after five years later in a follow up assessment, they found out that pure anxiety had decreased by 50 percent and comorbid had increased significantly. Thus, the proportionate increase in the comorbid group indicates that the development of comorbid major depression goes with time. Hence, we can justify that anxiety seems to be the primary disorder, with depression developing.

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