Dysthymic Disorder Has High Recovery and Relapse Rates

The results of a new longitudinal study focusing on the course of dysthymic disorder show that although the recovery rate is high, the risk of relapse is high as well. The study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, followed 97 adults with early-onset dysthymic disorder and 45 adults with nonchronic major depression. The researchers were able to collect data from 90% of the participants at baseline, 30, 60, 90, and 120 months. They found that the rate of recovery for dysthymic disorder was relatively high at 73.9%, but the risk of relapse was 71.4%. The risk of relapse was especially high in the first 3 years after recovery and dropped sharply after 6 years. However, patients with dysthymic disorder showed a significantly slower rate of improvement over time and had higher rates of depressive symptoms at the 10-year mark. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/163/5/872