Dysthymia: Medical vs. Psychological Treatment

ABSTRACT: Dysthymia has recently been diagnosed as its own unique subdivision of depression. What distinguishes dysthymia from Major Depressive Disorders is both the severity and length of the depression condition observed. Recent research suggests that psychotherapeutic treatment either administered alone, or occasionally in tandem with a pharmaceutical therapy yields the best results. Progressive interdisciplinary research indicates that an even greater scrutiny of a patient's exact social circumstances should be assessed and discussed with the patient. RESEARCH SUMMARY: Recent scientific research has focused on clarifying the difference between Major Depressive Disorders and dysthymia. Experts now believe that if this distinction between long-term major depression and dysthymia, its less severe and not as long lasting counterpart, can be more squarely identified then patients suffering from less acute forms of depression will be more likely to be both diagnosed correctly as well as treated with greater efficacy. Studies within the last 5 years appear to indicate that dysthymia appears to respond better to psycholog-ical treatments than medical ones. Recent psychotherapeutic approaches indicate that incorporating both a concern and an assessment of a patient's social situation may be desirable.

First, dysthymia has recently been defined as a "chronic depression of mood" which does not fulfill the criteria for "rec

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anderson in Long, 1995/6). Another intriguing finding in the recent research was uncovered by Cummings. This research indicates that 50% of patients suffering with Parkinson's Disease are likely to be labelled with Major Depressive Disorders while another 50% are seen as experiencing the symptoms of dysthymia. The higher the level of depression's intensity, the more likely the patient is to be suffering from gait instability rather than the tremor-dominant syndromes. Parkinson's Disease patients suffering from either depression or dysthymia can be partially alleviated of their depressive symptoms when they are treated with conventional tricyclic antidepressants or systems (Cummings in Long, 1995/6). Psychopharmaceutical treatments of dysthymia are considered to be effective, but sometimes administered alone they are inadequate. Akiskai's research underscores the importance of distinguishing between residual (partly remitted) major depression and dysthymia. Being able to recognize the difference between these two major subdivisions of depression allows both clinical administrators and psychiatrists to work more effectively with their depressed patients. Depressed patients can effectively be treated with full trials of a br
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Approximate Word count = 1314
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)