analyse the impact of comorbid depression on clinical and self-perceived health status in outpatients with GAD in Spain.

Multicentre, cross-sectional study enrolling subjects above 18 years-old with GAD according with ICD-10. Participants were chosen at ramdon by quotes and weighted geographically, but patients were enrolled consecutively. HAM-A and CGI-S were administered to determine clinical status and SF-36 and Sheehan disability scales for health status assessment.

Seven-hundred-ninety-two patients; 15.7% naives (GADn), 68.9% women, mean (SD) age of 40.0 (12.9) years were included. Ninety (11,4%) fulfilled criteria for comorbid depression with GAD. Depressive subjects were older [49.5 (11.3) vs. 43.7 (13.2) years, p=0.0001], female (78.7% vs 67.6%, p=0.034) and received lorazepan and lormetazepan more frequently (30.0% vs. 18.5%, p=0.015, and 15.6% vs. 5.0%, p=0.0002, respectively), but not antidepressatns, and received higher number of drugs; 2.3 (0.8) vs. 2.0 (0.8), p=0.011. Overall, psychic and somatic anxiety symptoms scoring (HAM-A) were higher in depressive; 26.4 (8.2) vs 22.7 (9.5), p=0.0003, 14.1 (4.1) vs 12.1 (4.9), p<0.0001, and 12.3 (4.7) vs 10.6 (5.2), p=0.0023, respectively. Depressive showed more severe symptoms of anxiety; 62.2% vs. 43.0%, p=0.0031, and scoring in CGI; 4.2 (0.9) vs 3.7 (1.1), p<0.0001. Depressives also showed higher scoring of disability; 19.7 (6.0) vs. 15.6 (7.0)%, p<0.0001, and lower values in physical and mental summary subscales of SF-36; 38,6 (7,9) vs 43.9 (9.0), p<0.0001, and 26.6 (9.5) vs. 30.4 (11.6), p=0.0008.

Comorbid depression enlarges deterioration in clinical status, level of functioning and quality of life of outpatients with GAD.