Abstract

FIGUEIREDO, Maria Silvia Lopes. Transtornos ansiosos e transtornos depressivos: aspectos diagnósticos. Rev. SPAGESP [online]. 2000, vol.1, n.1, pp. 89-97. ISSN 1677-2970.

An appropriate treatment for patients with disturbances of anxiety and depression begins with a careful diagnosis. It is important to detect the presenting symptoms themselves, integrating them with their meaning within the specific moment of life that the patient seeks professional help. The preliminary assessment seeks to determine if the depressive symptoms or anxiety detected constitutes only a transitory disturbance or if it signals an evolutionary phase. In case of intensity, frequency and harmful functioning really indicating a disturbance, then it is necessary to identify it, in order to allow planning for the most effective intervention. The classification of diagnosis actually in use is the tenth revision of the International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organization (CID-10) of 1992 and the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV), of 1994. In both the disturbances are defined by the operational criteria set forth, based on the clinical presentation. It could be used as a starting point for ascertaining a diagnosis, offering objective categorization, the mental health professionals’ role in their investigation of all of the aspects involved in the genesis and maintenance of the profile and achievement of an integration with subjective aspects, historical structures and contexts.