Dysthymia
Essays

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM

Suicide as one of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States was surpassed by Alzheimer Disease and septicemia more than a decade ago (McKeown 2006). However, it remains a leading cause of death among those…

Many American adults are living longer and healthier lives than ever before, and the elderly segment of the population is rapidly growing. Current U.S. Census Bureau projections indicate that the number of elderly in…

This paper is a summary of chapters 2 and 3 from the book An invitation to health: Brief edition by Hales (2008). The focus of these two chapters is on improving a patient's psychological health and reducing perceived stressors in the environment. Particular attention is given to the stresses faced by adolescents in a college environment. The stresses of women and historically-discriminated against groups in the college environment are likewise addressed.

Dysthymia is a prevalent form of depression, with significant psychiatric comorbidity, elevated risk of suicide, and often lasting more than a decade. Despite how common this form of depression is, it often goes undiagnosed until the easily recognizable symptoms of major depression manifest. This is unfortunate because it is treatable using both psychotherapy and antidepressant medications. In the future, clinicians and researchers will undoubtedly focus on improving the psychological instruments and laboratory tests used to detect dysthymia in an effort to intervene on behalf of those suffering from this mild form of clinical depression.

The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) is a 21-item clinician administered and scored scale that is designed to measure a person's mood and symptoms related to depression. The BDI-II was designed to conform to the DSM-IV depression diagnostic criteria and represents a substantial improvement over its predecessor, the original Beck Depression Inventory. The BDI-II has been used both as a research measure (its primary intended use) and to assist with the clinical diagnosis of depression. The BDI-II has been subject to numerous empirical studies designed to measure its internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity, criterion validity, and construct validity and the test demonstrates acceptable psychometric qualities, but there have been some concerns with its use. This paper reviews the development of the BDI-II, its psychometric properties, uses, strengths, and weaknesses. Advantages and disadvantages of using the BDI-II and recommendations for future research regarding its use are also discussed.