| Background: Anguish implies sensations of discomfort in the chest. Recently has been discovered manifestations of anguish in patients with psychiatric diagnosis. Also, conceptual confusions between anguish, anxiety, panic and fear has been observed. Objetives: This study analyzed the prevalence of anguish in patients with psychiatric diagnosis and differences in the presentation of psychiatric symptoms under thre presentation of anguish. Method: A sample composed of 100 patients from a large mental health care institucion in Brazil was recruited (mean age = 44.54 years). The sample comprised 69 (69%) women, 29(29%) men and 2(2%) transexuals. After comparing the mean age, no statistically significance was found (p=0,248). The age of the participantes composing the total sample ranged from 17 to 77 years. The sample’s education level was 42(42%) secondary or lower and 47(47%) graduates. As for marital state, 47(47%) participants were single, 32(32%) married, 13(13%) divorced, and 7(7%) widower. 1(1%) participant didn’t answer to this topic. To measure independent and dependent variables were used the following instruments: (a) Brief Symptoms Inventory, (b) Defensive Style Questionnaire-40, (c) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, (d) Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, (e) State-Trait Anxiety Scale, and (f) Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Results: Chi-square test showed significant association between anguish and gender (p=0,041), 31(79.5%) women had anguish compared to 7(17.9%) men and 1(2.6%) trans. Wilcoxon Mann Whitney test showed significant association between anguish and Brief Symptom Inventory (p=0,020). In this questionnaire online the variable somatization showed significance. Relatively to Hamilton Anxiety Scale, the variables fears, depressed mood, gastrointestinal and neurovegetative symptoms showed significance. Wilcoxon Mann Whitney and Chi-square tests showed that between anguish and depression variables somatization (p=0,02) and neurovegetative symptoms (p=0,018) and between anguish and anxiety only variable fears (p=0,018) was significant. Inferential analysis showed that depression is more linked to anguish than anxiety. Conclusions: As for the frst hypothesis, symptoms more related to anguish were somatization, fears, depressed mood, gastrointestinal and neurovegetative symptoms. Relatively to the second hypothesis, under the 82 participants with depression, 87.2% had anguish, while under the 69 participants with a diagnosis of anxiety disorders, 69.2% presented anguish, showing a greater frequency of anguish between patients with depression |