DDysthymic Disorder:
Who Cares?
Dysthymic disorder,
or low-grade chronic depression, is a paradoxical
condition. It is common, seen among 3 to 5% of
the general population. On a day to day basis it is
a mild condition, but in the words of one
researcher, on a long-term basis, "it is severe."
When followed over time, people with dysthymic
disorder actually have higher risks of suicide
attempts, psychiatric hospitalizations, and other
poor outcomes than individuals who present with
episodes of more severe 'major' depression.
Not only that, a person who has dysthymic disorder
is at very high risk of developing more severe
episodes of depression: in one study, over 3/4 of
dysthymics developed major depression within five
years.
Dysthymic disorder has been in general neglected; in
the entire world literature there are fewer than 20
published double-blind placebo controlled studies of
treatment for DD. Nevertheless, a number of
medication and psychotherapy approaches have been
found to be successful, at least in short-term
treatment. There is a need for more research
in order to better understand how to treat dysthymic
disorder, why it occurs, and how to prevent the
progression to major depression. Beyond that there
is a need for significant progress in basic
neurobiological studies to understand the causes of
this disorder.
Recommended Links
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About Dysthymic Disorder (Chronic low-grade
Depression):
