Generalized anxiety disorder screening scores are associated with greater treatment need among Veterans with depression.

ABSTRACT: Comorbid anxiety and depression predict a poorer prognosis than either disorder occurring alone. It is unclear whether self-reported anxiety symptom scores identify patients with depression in need of more intensive mental health services. This study evaluated how anxiety symptoms predicted treatment receipt and outcomes among patients with new depression diagnoses in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Electronic medical record data from 128,917 VHA patients (71.6% assessed for anxiety, n = 92,237) with new diagnoses of depression were analyzed to examine how Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scores predicted psychotropic medication prescriptions, psychotherapy receipt, acute care service utilization, and follow-up depression symptoms. Patients who reported severe symptoms of a

SUBMITTER: Saulnier KG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11404397 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature