Anxiety Disorders Comorbidity in Iranian Patients with Mood Disorders and Itsʹ Relationship with Suicidal Attempt

Objective: Several studies show co morbidity of anxiety disorders amongst patients with bipolar and unipolar disorders. It is associated with an intensification of symptoms, insufficient treatment response, non recovery, poor functional outcome and suicidality. The aim of this study was to show the frequency of anxiety disorders comorbidity and the relationship between comorbidity and suicide attempt in these patients. Method: In a descriptive study, 152 patients with bipolar and unipolar disorders in a psychiatric center were assessed with SCID. Current and lifetime comorbidity in bipolar and unipolar patients were analyzed. Results: One hundred fifty two subjects aged 18-60 years were included in the study and102 bipolar I, 11 bipolar II, and 39 unipolar patients were diagnosed. Co morbidity in each group was 21.2%, 11.5%, and 43.5%. Suicide attempt in patients with bipolar disorders and anxiety disorders comorbidity was significantly more than patients with bipolar disorders without co morbidity. Conclusions: Significant proportions of patients with bipolar and unipolar disorder had co morbid anxiety disorders. Moreover, anxiety disorders comorbidity may be associated with more suicide attempt in bipolar patients, highlighting the need for greater clinical attention to anxiety in this population, particularly for enhanced clinical monitoring of suicidality. In addition, it is important to determine whether an effective treatment of anxiety symptoms can reduce suicidality.