The high comorbidity of depression and anxiety is well established empirically but not well understood conceptually, in terms of either psychological or biological mechanisms.

The gap

Consensus across the literature

Supporting evidence — 3 representative gaps

• Rumination predicts heightened responding to stressful life events in major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. (2015) · doi

  Although studies have documented heightened stress sensitivity in major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), the mechanisms involved are poorly understood.

  Keywords: disorder documented heightened stress sensitivity major depressive generalized anxiety mechanisms involved poorly understood
• Life Event Dimensions of Loss, Humiliation, Entrapment, and Danger in the Prediction of Onsets of Major Depression and Generalized Anxiety (2003) · doi

  BACKGROUND: Although substantial evidence suggests that stressful life events predispose to the onset of episodes of depression and anxiety, the essential features of these events that are depressogenic and anxiogenic remain uncertain.

  Keywords: events background substantial evidence suggests stressful life predispose onset episodes depression anxiety essential features depressogenic
• Neuropsychological differentiation of depression and anxiety. (2000) · doi

  The high comorbidity of depression and anxiety is well established empirically but not well understood conceptually, in terms of either psychological or biological mechanisms.

  Keywords: well high comorbidity depression anxiety established empirically understood conceptually terms either psychological biological mechanisms