Affective disorders in children and adolescents: the dysthymic disorder dilemma

From 60 patients referred for assessment of their depressive symptomatology, 13 were found to suffer from major affective disorder and 14 from dysthymic disorder. The results from self-rating scales (the Children's Depression Inventory and the Children's Depression Scale) were compared with the findings from diagnostic interviews (using DSM-III criteria). The large proportion of dysthymic disorders in this sample is compared to the low reported figure in most other samples and some comments about the possible usefulness of this diagnosis are made.