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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    What is dysthymia? Is it the same as depression?

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    Depression Mental Health
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    Damien Haines

    Clinical Psychologist, Psychologist

    Damien Haines is a registered Clinical Psychologist who brings a warm and empathetic approach to therapy. He emphasises engagement in the world and encourages clients … View Profile

    Depression is a generic term that includes an emotional state that everyone experiences, a more formal diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder and Dysthymia. Diagnostically the main differenences are the intensity of the low mood and the chronicity. MDD can be diagnosed after a few weeks of predominantly low mood that significantly impacts on someones life. It also tends to be episodic, ie it comes and goes at times even without treatment. With Dysthymia, it can only be diagnosed after 2+ years of chronic low mood - it isn't really episodic. Lower mood is more typical of MDD. As the mood is less severe with Dysthymia people can often keep a job, have relationships etc, but they experience very little pleasure or engagement with their activities. Some people may not remember ever feeling happy.

    Dysthymia is usually more debilitating as one cannot remember having felt good and so don't have a reference point around what used to work, or even how it feels to be “well”. Unfortunately treatment doesn't have a good record either. Here I mean Pharmocotherapy and CBT/IPT.

    One final thing people with a diagnosis of Dysthymia can experience is “Double Depression”. This is where the dysthymia is already there, but then they aso get hit with a Major Depressive Episode as well.

    Hope this is enough information, if not let us know.

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  • Anonymous

    Thanks Damien for your reply to this question, I'm not sure how long it has been there. I have recently been diagnosed with Dysthymia, although I have had it for a very long time. Do you know of, or are there any Melbourne based Psychologists who have had success with treating this? I have seen two psychologists previously over a 5 year+ period and whilst there has been some progress, there hasn't been enough to really allow me to feel that I can lead a normal life. I know there is not a magic pill and I'm prepared to work at it. Any suggestions would be appreciated. March '17.

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