Dysthymia

Dysthymia: Introduction

Dysthymia is a milder but also more chronic form of depressive disorder than the better known major depression. The dysthymia sufferer usually has a persistent depressed mood with related symptoms such as a loss of interest in life and feelings of fatigue. Dysthymia can be diagnosed if depressive symptoms last more than 2 years and is accompanied by at least 2 other symptoms of depression.

Symptoms of Dysthymia

• Persistent depressed mood
• Chronic prolonged depression - up to 2 years
• Loss of interest in life
• Lack enthusiasm for life
• Feelings of fatigue
• more symptoms...»

See full list of 57 symptoms of Dysthymia

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Dysthymia:

• Child Behavior: Home Testing
  • ADHD -- Home Test Kits
  • Concentration -- Home Testing
• Mental Health (Adults): Home Testing
  • Adult ADHD -- Home Testing
  • Concentration -- Home Tests
• Mental Health: Home Testing:
  • Home Emotional Stress Tests
  • ADHD -- Home Testing
  • Concentration -- Home Test Kits
• Brain & Neurological Disorders: Related Home Testing:
  • ADHD -- Home Tests
  • Drug Screening Kits
• more tests...»

Dysthymia: Complications

Review possible medical complications related to Dysthymia:

• Depression - episodes of major depression
• more complications...»

Medical Textbooks Online about Dysthymia

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Wrongly Diagnosed with Dysthymia?

• Misdiagnosis of Dysthymia
• Failure to diagnose Dysthymia
• Hidden causes of Dysthymia (possibly wrongly diagnosed)
• Undiagnosed: Dysthymia

Dysthymia: Self Assessment Tools

• Stress -- Self Assessment Tools
• Depression -- Self Assessment Tools
• Weight Management -- Self Assessment Tools
• Mental Health -- Self Assessment Tools
• more tools...»

Dysthymia: Medical Mistakes

• Concentration -- Health Mistakes
• ADHD -- Health Mistakes
• ADHD (Adults) -- Health Mistakes
• Depression -- Health Mistakes
• Bipolar -- Health Mistakes
• Sleep Disorders -- Health Mistakes
• more mistakes...»

Dysthymia: Undiagnosed Conditions

Commonly undiagnosed diseases in related medical categories:

• Brain & Neurological Disorders: Undiagnosed:
  • Adult ADHD -- Undiagnosed - Often remains undiagnosed through to adulthood.
  • ADHD -- Undiagnosed
  • Alzheimer Disease -- Undiagnosed
  • Migraine -- Undiagnosed
  • Concentration Disorders -- Undiagnosed
  • Stroke -- Undiagnosed
  • Bipolar Disorder -- Undiagnosed
  • Schizophrenia -- Undiagnosed
  • Epilepsy -- Undiagnosed
• more undiagnosed conditions...»

Misdiagnosis and Dysthymia

Cluster of diseases with difficult diagnosis issues: There is a well-known list of medical conditions that are all somewhat difficult to diagnose, and all can present in a variety of...read more »

Undiagnosed stroke leads to misdiagnosed aphasia: BBC News UK reported on a man who had been institutionalized and treated for mental illness because he suffered from sudden inability to...read more »

Alzheimer's disease over-diagnosed: The well-known disease of Alzheimer's disease is often over-diagnosed. Patients tend to assume that any...read more »

Dementia may be a drug interaction: A common scenario in aged care is for a patient to show mental decline to dementia. Whereas this can, of...read more »

ADHD under-diagnosed in adults: Although the over-diagnoses of ADHD in children is a well-known controversy, the reverse side related to adults. Some adults can remain undiagnosed, and...read more »

Bipolar disorder misdiagosed as various conditions by primary physicians: Bipolar disorder (manic-depressive disorder) often fails to be diagnosed correctly by primary care physicians. Many...read more »

Eating disorders under-diagnosed in men: The typical patient with an eating disorder is female. The result is that men with eating disorders often fail to be diagnosed or have a delayed...read more »

Depression undiagnosed in teenagers: Serious bouts of depression can be undiagnosed in teenagers. The "normal" moodiness of teenagers can cause severe medical depression to be overlooked. See misdiagnosis of depression or symptoms of...read more »

Undiagnosed anxiety disorders related to depression: Patients with depression (see symptoms of depression) may also have undiagnosed anxiety...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Dysthymia

Dysthymia: Research Doctors & Specialists

Research related physicians and medical specialists:

• Mental Health Specialists:
  • Psychiatry (Mental Health)
  • Addiction Psychiatry
  • Geriatric Psychiatry (Seniors Mental Health)
  • Pediatric / Adolescent Psychiatry (Child/Teen Mental Health)
  • Pediatric Developmental Behavioral Health (Child Behavior Specialist)
  • Psychosomatic Medicine
  • Forensic Psychiatry
• more specialists...»

Other doctor, physician and specialist research services:

• Rate Your Doctor Online
• Research Your Doctor Online
• Review Patient Surveys About Your Doctor
• Research local specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.

Hospitals & Clinics: Dysthymia

Research quality ratings and patient safety measures for medical facilities in specialties related to Dysthymia:

• Mental Health -- Hospital Quality Ratings
• more hospital ratings...»

Hospital & Clinic quality ratings » »

Choosing the Best Hospital: More general information, not necessarily in relation to Dysthymia, on hospital performance and surgical care quality:

• 50 Best Hospitals Report
• Outstanding Patient Experinece Award Winning Hospitals
• Women's Health Best Hospitals
• Patient Safety
• Hospital Quality and Clinical Excellence Study (2009)

Dysthymia: Rare Types

Rare types of diseases and disorders in related medical categories:

• Brain & Neurological Disorders: Rare Types:
  • Adult ADHD -- Rare Types
  • ADHD -- Rare Types
  • Alzheimer Disease -- Rare Types
  • Migraine -- Rare Types
  • Concentration Disorders -- Rare Types
  • Stroke -- Rare Types
  • Bipolar Disorder -- Rare Types
  • Schizophrenia -- Rare Types
  • Epilepsy -- Rare Types
• more rare diseases...»

Causes of Dysthymia

Read more about causes of Dysthymia.

More information about causes of Dysthymia:

• Dysthymia as a symptom

Videos for Dysthymia

Patient Surveys for Dysthymia

• Patient Profile Survey
  Take Survey  View Results
• Survey about the symptoms of your Dysthymia
  Take Survey  View Results

Reseach about Dysthymia

Visit our research pages for current research about Dysthymia treatments.

Clinical Trials for Dysthymia

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Dysthymia include:

• Wellbutrin XL for Dysthymic Disorder - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - bupropion XL
• Escitalopram in the Treatment of Dysthymic Disorder, Double Blind - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Lexapro (escitalopram)
• Testosterone Replacement in Middle-Aged Hypogonadal Men With Dysthymia: Parallel Group, Double Blind Randomized Trial - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Testoviron
• Duloxetine for Chronic Depression: a Double-Blind Study - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Duloxetine (Cymbalta)
• Are Two Antidepressants a Good Initial Treatment for Depression? - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Escitalopram,Bupropion
• more trials...»

See full list of 20 Clinical Trials for Dysthymia

Statistics for Dysthymia

• Medical statistics for Dysthymia
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Dysthymia
• Death and Mortality statistics for Dysthymia
• Society statistics for Dysthymia

Dysthymia: Broader Related Topics

• Mood disorders
• Depressive disorders
• Depression
• Mental illness
• Psychological disorders
• Psychiatric disorders
• more types...»

Types of Dysthymia

Stories from Users Related to Dysthymia

• Dysthymia & relationships
• Dysthymia; Cures?

Related forums and medical stories:

• Mental Conditions (146)
  • Caterpillar Phobia
  • Am I Anorexic?
  • Antisocial personality disorder?
  • I've been depressed for some time now but...
  • I don't know what this could be
  • More user stories

User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Dysthymia, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

• I can not get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for this?
• See all the forums.

Article Excerpts about Dysthymia

This less severe yet typically more chronic form of depression is diagnosed when depressed mood persists for at least one year in children or adolescents and is accompanied by at least two other symptoms of major depression.¹⁴ Dysthymia is associated with an increased risk for developing major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and substance abuse.^{4 ,17} Treatment of dysthmia may prevent the deterioration to more severe illness.¹ If dysthymia is suspected in a young patient, referral to a mental health specialist is indicated for a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation and appropriate treatment. (Source: excerpt from Depression in Children and Adolescents A Fact Sheet for Physicians: NIMH)

Definitions of Dysthymia:

Mild chronic depression; "I thought she had just been in a bad mood for thirty years, but the doctor called it dysthymia" - (Source - WordNet 2.1)