Cyclothymic disorder is best described as mood fluctuations for at least two years that do not meet criteria for depression or hypomania. True or False?

Cyclothymic disorder is best described as mood fluctuations for at least two years that do not meet criteria for depression or hypomania. True or False?

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only in children
• D. Requires hospitalization

Answer: (A)

Cyclothymic disorder is a chronic mood disturbance on the bipolar spectrum, defined by numerous periods of subthreshold hypomanic symptoms and subthreshold depressive symptoms that last for at least two years in adults (one year in children/adolescents). The key idea is that the mood changes are persistent and pervasive and do not meet the full criteria for major depressive episodes or for hypomanic/manic episodes. This makes the description in the statement accurate: mood fluctuations for at least two years without meeting full criteria for depression or hypomania. Hospitalization is not required, and if full major depressive or manic episodes were present, the diagnosis would be bipolar I or II instead of cyclothymia.

Cyclothymic disorder is a chronic mood disturbance on the bipolar spectrum, defined by numerous periods of subthreshold hypomanic symptoms and subthreshold depressive symptoms that last for at least two years in adults (one year in children/adolescents). The key idea is that the mood changes are persistent and pervasive and do not meet the full criteria for major depressive episodes or for hypomanic/manic episodes. This makes the description in the statement accurate: mood fluctuations for at least two years without meeting full criteria for depression or hypomania. Hospitalization is not required, and if full major depressive or manic episodes were present, the diagnosis would be bipolar I or II instead of cyclothymia.