Mixed anxiety–depressive disorder

Mixed anxiety–depressive disorder (MADD) is a diagnostic category that defines patients who have both anxiety and depressive symptoms of limited and equal intensity accompanied by at least some autonomic nervous system features.

Autonomic features are involuntary physical symptoms usually caused by an overactive nervous system, such as panic attacks or intestinal distress.

Typically, this means that the symptoms of mixed anxiety-depressive disorder are not severe if the anxiety and depression are considered separately.

Due to this, it has long been a struggle to find a singular set of criteria to use in the diagnosis of mixed-anxiety depressive disorder.

[11] There are multiple possible causes for mixed anxiety-depressive disorder, but they can be separated into three main categories: biological, psychological, and environmental factors.

The high comorbidity of depression and anxiety, as well as the existence of mixed anxiety-depressive disorder suggests that these two conditions have similar causes, but this is still unconfirmed.