Comprehensive exams for Mental Health Q 172
Ricardo, an outpatient in a psychiatric facility is diagnosed with dysthymic disorder. Which of the following statements about dysthymic disorder is true?
A. It involves a mood range from moderate depression to hypomania.
B. It involves a single manic depression.
C. It’s a form of depression that occurs in the fall and winter.
D. It’s a mood disorder similar to major depression but of mild to moderate severity.
Correct Answer: D. It’s a mood disorder similar to major depression but of mild to moderate severity
Dysthymic disorder is a mood disorder similar to major depression but it remains mild to moderate in severity. Persistent depressive disorder is a newly coined term in the DSM-5 to capture what was originally known as dysthymia and chronic major depression. This disorder has been poorly understood, and its classification has evolved due to the complicated and ever-evolving nature of the nosology of depressive disorders. It was not until the DSM-III that dysthymic disorder was defined as a mild chronic depression lasting longer than 2 years.
Option A: Cyclothymic disorder is a mood disorder characterized by a mood range from moderate depression to hypomania. Cyclothymia is a primary mood disorder that is, by definition, characterized by episodes that do not meet the criteria for hypomania or major depression. It is currently classified under the umbrella of bipolar mood disorders. It is a chronic disease that must be present for at least two years in order to be diagnosable in adults and over 1 year in children and adolescents.
Option B: Bipolar I disorder is characterized by a single manic episode with no past major depressive episodes. Bipolar 1 disorder has been frequently associated with serious medical and psychiatric comorbidity, early mortality, high levels of functional disability and compromised quality of life. The necessary feature of bipolar 1 disorder involves the occurrence of at least one-lifetime manic episode, although depressive episodes are common.
Option C: Seasonal Affective Disorder is a form of depression occurring in the fall and winter. Unlike people with classic depression, who typically eat less and sleep more, people with SAD eat more and sleep more, much like animals hibernating for the winter. Many patients with SAD do not realize that they have depression, because they are not necessarily depressed with regard to their mood. Nevertheless, they feel tired and less interested in things and have increased sleep and appetite, thus meeting the clinical depression criteria.