Clinical and socio-demographic correlates of anxious distress in Asian outpatients with major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND

Anxious distress in major depressive disorder (MDD) is common and associated with poor outcomes and management difficulties.

AIMS: This post hoc analysis aimed to examine the socio-demographic and clinical correlates of anxiety distress in Asian outpatients with MDD.

METHODS

Instead of two out of five specifiers defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Version-5, anxious distress defined in this study was operationalized as the presence of at least two out of four proxy items drawn from the 90-item Symptom Checklist, Revised (SCL-90-R). Other measures included the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), the Fatigue Severity Scale, the Sheehan Disability Scale and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support.

RESULTS

The data of 496 patients with MDD were included. Anxious distress was found in 371 participants (74.8%). The binary logistic regression analysis found that anxious distress was independently and significantly correlated with working status, higher MADRS scores, severe insomnia and functional impairment.

CONCLUSIONS

Three-fourths of Asian patients with MDD in tertiary care settings may have DSM-5 anxious distress of at least moderate distress. Its prevalence may vary among working groups. The specifier was associated with greater depressive symptom severity, severe insomnia and functional impairment.