Personality and Mood Disorders Q 6
Which mood disorder is characterized by the client feeling depressed most of the day for a 2-year period?
A. Cyclothymia
B. Dysthymia
C. Melancholic depressive disorder
D. Seasonal affective disorder
Correct Answer: B. Dysthymia
Dysthymia is characterized by at least a 2-year history of depression, occurring most of the day for more days than not. Persistent depressive disorder (PDD), formerly known as dysthymia, is a fairly new diagnosis that is characterized by chronic depression. The latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) consolidated dysthymia and chronic major depressive disorder under the umbrella of persistent depressive disorder, which includes any chronic depression running on a spectrum from mild to severe.
Option A: Cyclothymia is characterized by at least two (2) years of several periods of hypomanic symptoms. Criterion A from the Diagnostic and Statistical Handbook of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) defines cyclomania as: “For at least two years (at least one year in children and adolescents) there have been numerous periods with hypomanic symptoms that do not meet criteria for a hypomanic episode and numerous periods with depressive symptoms that do not meet criteria for a major depressive episode.”
Option C: Melancholic depressive disorder is characterized by either anhedonia in relation to all activities or lack of mood reactivity to usually pleasurable stimuli. Melancholic depression is a form of major depressive disorder (MDD) that is characterized by a profound presentation of severe depression. With this form of depression, there is a complete loss of pleasure in all or almost everything. In the DSM-5, melancholia is a specifier for MDD, so a person would be diagnosed as having major depressive disorder (the broader illness) with melancholic features (the specific symptoms).
Option D: Seasonal affective disorder is characterized by depressed feelings in fall and winter, associated with loss of sunlight. People with SAD experience mood changes and symptoms similar to depression. The symptoms usually occur during the fall and winter months when there is less sunlight and usually improve with the arrival of spring. The most difficult months for people with SAD in the United States tend to be January and February. While it is much less common, some people experience SAD in the summer.