The clinical criteria and dynamics of dysthymia

The lecture is devoted to dysthymia as a sub-type of chronic unipolar affective disorder resulting in decrease of quality of life, disability and premature death of patients. Nowadays, this pathology represents serious medical problem. The data is presented concerning clinical and epidemiological aspects of dysthymia. The publication is focused on diagnostic criteria of dysthymia according ICD-10 making possible to distinguish low-level sub-depressive disorder from major depression. The actual approaches to problem of differentiated diagnostic of dysthymia, particularly in adolescent age, are considered.

dysthymia, quality of life, diagnostic criteria of dysthymia