Duration of periods of euthymia in patients with dysthymic disorder

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the duration of periods of euthymia in patients with dysthymia. Method: All patients with dysthymia who came to the Center for Anxiety and Depression over a IO-month period ( N=22) were interviewed by the author regarding the duration of their euthym ic episodes. Results: The 22 patients with dysthymia reported euthymic peri ods from 2 to 30 days (mean=8.0 days, SD=6.6), Conclusions: The euthymic pe riod of up to 2 months that is specified in DSM-IV for dysthymic disorder m ight confound the results of clinical trials. Data from additional groups o f dysthymic patients would be useful when considering this issue for DSM-V.