ABSTRACT
There are many common diagnostic and treatment issues associated with
comorbid depression, regardless of the specific comorbid condition. The
diagnosis of depression is often difficult to make in the presence of comor-
bidity. Depressive symptoms frequently accompany other illnesses, and the
primary condition may have symptoms that are common to MDD. For
example, anxiety symptoms such as panic attacks can occur or worsen
during a major depressive episode (MDE). Mood instability is a common
symptom in personality disorders and can be misdiagnosed as depressive
mood. In physical illnesses such as cancer, fatigue and lack of energy may
not be a valid symptom of depression. In these situations, other depressive
symptoms such as anhedonia, loss of interest and feelings of guilt may be
helpful in making a diagnosis of comorbid MDD.
