First of all, what is a co-morbid condition? A condition is considered to be co-morbid when the symptoms occur at the same time or alongside another condition. As far as mental health goes, comorbidity is a relatively new concept as the symptoms and diagnostic criteria for mental health disorders have become more defined. Depression is one of the top three most common mental health disorders in the United States; additionally, the most common to experience a co-morbid condition. So, what are some common co-morbid conditions of depression? The most common disorders to occur with depression are anxiety disorders, substance use disorders (SUD), personality disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) estimates that 60% of people who struggle with anxiety also suffer from symptoms of depression and vise-versa. Though professionals cannot definitively say why depression and anxiety are so commonly co-morbid, there are a few things that inform us as to why this happens so frequently. One of the reasons may be that due to the visible overlap in symptoms of the two conditions, it is entirely possible that they both come from the same parts of the brain and rely on the same chemical messengers, i.e. serotonin.
Recent studies have shown that one-third of people suffering from depression also have a co-morbid SUD. Additionally, this population has shown to have greater instances of death by suicide than any other comorbidity. This reason could largely be due to the fact that typically, people who struggle with SUD often isolate themselves and experience other things that increase the risk of developing depression such as job loss, strained relationships, or financial strain, due to their struggle with substances.
According to recent literature reviews, up to 90% of people who live with personality disorders–especially borderline personality disorder (BPD)–also meet criteria for depression. Being that personality disorders stem from the inability or difficulty to control mood and emotions, it is not surprising that someone living with a personality disorder may struggle with symptoms of a mood disorder, such as depression.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V), comorbidity of OCD and depression occurs at a rate of almost 41% of people who suffer from OCD. Additionally, people who suffer from OCD usually do not meet criteria for depression until after OCD diagnosis. Interestingly enough, researchers believe that this happens due to the stress people’s OCD symptoms cause on an individual level, but also due to the stress that may have built from problems at home or work created by their OCD symptoms.
The comorbidity of PTSD and depression is very common, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that “approximately half” of the people who struggle with PTSD also suffer from depression. Some of the reason for this is due to the fact that many of their symptoms and diagnostic criteria overlap; however, there is a great deal of research currently studying a biological component for an explanation of this as well. In the article cited above, the researchers suggest that the comorbidity of PTSD and depression is a “trauma-related phenotype.”
Now that we know the common co-morbid conditions of depression, what does it mean? It means that it is possible to experience more than one diagnosis at a time, but also that this occurrence is common, and that there are so many different approaches to treating both conditions simultaneously. Do some co-morbidities make treatment more difficult? Sure, that’s possible; however, treatment in and of itself can be difficult when treating just one disorder as well. The therapists at Niyyah Counseling PLLC describe themselves as eclectic, meaning that your treatment is individualized for you with what works for you. No two people are alike. No two experiences are alike. Reach out today and let us support you in your first steps toward recovery!