PARENTAL REPRESENTATION IN PATIENTS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSION, ANXIETY DISORDER AND MIXED CONDITIONS

Differences in parental bonding between patients with pure major depression, mixed anxiety‐depression and pure anxiety disorders were investigated in 272 consecutive outpatients. A low parental care score seemed to be the best discriminating variable between the mixed group and the 3 other groups. This study supports previous family and twin studies as well as clinical studies emphasizing the mixed group as a special disorder group, possibly with a different etiology. The role of the father in child development seems to be particularly important. Copyright © 1990, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved