Comorbid anxiety and depression among patients with late luteal phase dysphoric disorder

Abstract

The presence of current anxiety and mood disorders was evaluated with the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-III-Revised (SCID) in three groups: (a) a group of 32 women with prospectively confirmed Late Luteal Phase Dysphoric Disorder (LLPDD), (b) a group of 35 women with secondary amenorrhea, and (c) a group of 38 female healthy volunteers. Both LLPDD and secondary amenorrhea patients had a greater percentage of comorbid anxiety or mood disorders compared to healthy volunteers. Although patients with amenorrhea displayed mood disorders more often than LLPDD patients, 59% of the 32 women with LLPDD had current anxiety disorders either alone or with comorbid mood disorders, and this percentage was significantly higher ( p < 0.005) than that of amenorrheic patients (23%). Generalized anxiety, panic disorder, and social phobia were the most common diagnoses among LLPDD women. In conclusion, patients with prospectively confirmed LLPDD appear more likely to suffer from current anxiety or mood disorders than healthy controls and to have current anxiety disorders more often than women with secondary amenorrhea.