Anxious-retarded depression: relation to two-year outcome of major depressive disorder.
BACKGROUND
Anxious-retarded depression is a two-dimensionally defined subcategory of depression derived from DSM-IV melancholia. It is related to increased plasma vasopressin, correlative plasma vasopressin and cortisol levels, and a positive family history. We now explored its relation with outcome.


METHODS
Seventy depressed patients were included to follow-up for two years. Outcome was defined by time until full-remission. Cox regression analyses were used to compare anxious-retarded and non-anxious-retarded patients, as well as melancholic and non-melancholic patients.


RESULTS
Anxious-retarded depression had poor outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
The number of patients was relatively small.


CONCLUSIONS
The poor outcome of anxious-retarded depression further supports its validity.
de Winter
R F P
RF
Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Centre, The Netherlands. r.de.winter@Parnassia.nl
Zitman
F G
FG
van Houwelingen
J C
JC
Wolterbeek
R
R
Goekoop
J G
JG
D001007:Anxiety / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000097:blood
D014667:Vasopressins; D006854:Hydrocortisone