Longitudinal associations between depressive and anxiety disorders: a comparison of two trait models.
BACKGROUND
Depression and anxiety are highly co-morbid disorders. Two latent trait models have been proposed to explain the nature of the relationship between these disorders. The first posits that depressive and anxiety disorders are both manifestations of a single internalizing factor. The second model, based on a tripartite model proposed by Clark & Watson [Journal of Abnormal Psychology (1991) 100, 316-336], proposes that depressive and anxiety disorders reflect a combination of shared and disorder-specific factors.


METHODS
We directly compared the two models in a sample of 891 individuals from the Oregon Adolescent Depression Project who participated in up to four diagnostic assessments over approximately 15 years. Structural equation models were used to examine the relationship between depressive and anxiety disorders across different developmental periods (<14, 14-18, 19-23, 24-30 years of age).


RESULTS
The one- and three-factor models were hierarchically related. Thus, a direct comparison between the one- and three-factor models was possible using a chi2 difference test. The result found that the three-factor model fit the data better than the one-factor model.


CONCLUSIONS
The three-factor model, positing that depressive and anxiety disorders were caused by a combination of shared and disorder-specific factors, provided a significantly better fit to the data than the one-factor model postulating that a single factor influences the development of both depressive and anxiety disorders.
Olino
Thomas M
TM
Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2500, USA. tolino@ms.cc.sunysb.edu
Klein
Daniel N
DN
Lewinsohn
Peter M
PM
Rohde
Paul
P
Seeley
John R
JR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003625:Data Collection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D019263:Dysthymic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006803:Human Development; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009922:Oregon / Q000453:epidemiology; D012494:Sampling Studies