Psychiatrists warn of mixed anxious-depressive disorder

Psychiatrists are highlighting the challenges of mixed anxious-depressive disorder, a condition where symptoms of both anxiety and depression occur simultaneously without either meeting the full criteria for an independent diagnosis. Experts note that up to 90% of patients with anxiety may also present depressive symptoms, complicating diagnosis and treatment.

In Spain, the issue is particularly significant, as 35% of the population has a mental health issue recorded in primary care. Anxiety disorders remain the most frequent reason for consultation, especially among young people. To mark World Mental Health Day, specialists Siegfried Kasper from the Medical University of Vienna and María Inés López Ibor from the Complutense University of Madrid discussed the difficulty of distinguishing these overlapping symptoms, such as constant worry and tension from low mood and loss of interest.