Defining anxious depression in later life: a scaring heterogeneity in results.
BACKGROUND
Anxiety in depression is challenging as it results in more functional impairment and a worse prognosis. No consensus exists on the definition of anxious depression.


METHODS
In 359 older patients with major depressive disorder, we examined the agreement between anxious depression based on different combinations of comorbid anxiety disorders and anxious depression based on high level of anxiety symptoms measured by self-report questionnaires.


RESULTS
Agreement between the definitions of anxious depression was poor, as indicated by κ statistics ranging between 0.06 and 0.23.


CONCLUSIONS
Accepted criteria for anxious depression classify completely different patients as being anxious depressed. This may explain inconsistent results of previous studies on anxious depression. Moreover, progress in this research field is hampered, as studies using different definitions cannot be pooled in meta-analyses.
University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Psychiatry & Interdisciplinary Center of Psychiatric Epidemiology, Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: d.c.van.der.veen@umcg.nl.
Date C
DC
van der Veen
VU University, Department for Psychiatry, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research / Institute for Neurosciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Hannie C
HC
Comijs
University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Psychiatry & Interdisciplinary Center of Psychiatric Epidemiology, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Willeke H
WH
van Zelst
University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Psychiatry & Interdisciplinary Center of Psychiatric Epidemiology, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Robert A
RA
Schoevers
University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Psychiatry & Interdisciplinary Center of Psychiatric Epidemiology, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Richard C
RC
Oude Voshaar
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Mixed anxiety depression; anxious depression; comorbidity; depression; late-life depression