Some unfortunate people seem to have long histories of intermittent depression.
They represent low grade depression involving low self esteem and slef0critical attitudes, passivity, pessimism and inter personal dependency which appears to follow rather than precede a well defined depressive episode from which there is incomplete recovery.
The depression may not be serious enough to be diagnosed as a ‘major depression’ but studies indicate that those who suffer with this type of depression also have diminished functioning in their lives in terms of social, occupational and intimate relationship.
Patients with sub-affective dysthymia display several pathognomomic features of major depression, including reduced REM latency and favorable response to antidepressant pharmacotherapy.
Such people may present as quiet, passive, gloomy, self-critical and conscientious. Patients often present with melancholic symptoms, report a family history of affective illness and posses many depressive personality traits.
The research shows that sub-affective dysthymia is related mainly to bipolar disorder. An equivalent rate of familial bipolar disorder and of tricyclic-induced hypomania has been observed among probands with sub-affective dysthymia, cyclothymia and bipolar disorder.
Sub-affective Dysthymia
