Condition Header Background

What is Persistent Depressive Disorder?

LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:

Imagine being sick for a long time—maybe even a lifetime—and not knowing it. Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD) affects people that way. It’s a stealthy illness, hard to detect, yet quietly disabling.

Persistent Depressive Disorder—the depression formerly known as dysthymia—is a chronic, milder form of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The symptoms for both are the usual suspects in depressive illness: a down mood, fatigue, despair, trouble eating and sleeping, and poor concentration.

In adults, it takes two symptoms and two years to establish a Persistent Depressive Disorder diagnosis. During that time, patients may feel fine for up to two months at a time. They could also flame into a major depressive episode. But where Major Depressive Disorder boils and cools, Persistent Depressive Disorder simmers at a low, slow burn.

FIND A PROVIDER

Types of Depression Disorders

Wondering about a possible disorder but not sure? Let’s explore your symptoms.

IDENTIFY YOUR SYMPTOMS
References
  1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Depressive Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is on section Persistent Depressive Disorder, subsection Diagnostic Criteria, paragraph 1]
  2. Morris, J.: DSM-5 Made Easy: The Clinician’s Guide to Diagnosis, p. 140.
  3. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Depressive Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is on section Persistent Depressive Disorder, subsection Diagnostic Criteria, Criterion A]
  4. Hales, R; Yudofsky, S; Roberts, L. (2014) The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry, Sixth Edition. Chapter 11. [Citation is on p.19, section Persistent Depressive Disorder, paragraph 1]
  5. Hales, R; Yudofsky, S; Roberts, L. (2014) The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry, Sixth Edition. Chapter 11. [Citation is on p.19, section Persistent Depressive Disorder, paragraph 1]
  6. Blanco C, Okuda M, Markowitz JC, Liu SM, Grant BF, Hasin DS. The epidemiology of chronic major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. J Clin Psychiatry. 2010;71(12):1645-56. [Citation is on p.6, section Results, subsection Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates, paragraph 1]
  7. Mondimore FM, Zandi PP, Mackinnon DF, et al. (2006) Familial aggregation of illness chronicity in recurrent, early-onset major depression pedigrees. Am J Psychiatry 163(9):1554–1560.  [Citation is on p.3, Table 1]
  8. Mondimore FM, Zandi PP, Mackinnon DF, et al. (2006) Familial aggregation of illness chronicity in recurrent, early-onset major depression pedigrees. Am J Psychiatry 163(9):1554–1560.  [Citation is on p.4, Table 2]
  9. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Depressive Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is on section Persistent Depressive Disorder, subsection Development and Course]
  10. Blanco C, Okuda M, Markowitz JC, Liu SM, Grant BF, Hasin DS. The epidemiology of chronic major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. J Clin Psychiatry. 2010;71(12):1645-56.[Citation is on p.18, Table 2, section Childhood Risk Factors]
  11. Blanco C, Okuda M, Markowitz JC, Liu SM, Grant BF, Hasin DS. The epidemiology of chronic major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. J Clin Psychiatry. 2010;71(12):1645-56. [Citation is on p.6, section Results, subsection Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates, paragraphs 2 and 3]
  12. Blanco C, Okuda M, Markowitz JC, Liu SM, Grant BF, Hasin DS. The epidemiology of chronic major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. J Clin Psychiatry. 2010;71(12):1645-56. [Citation is on p.6, section Results, subsection Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates, paragraph 2]
  13. Blanco C, Okuda M, Markowitz JC, Liu SM, Grant BF, Hasin DS. The epidemiology of chronic major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. J Clin Psychiatry. 2010;71(12):1645-56. [Citation is on p.6, section Results, subsection Risk factors, paragraph 2]
  14. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Depressive Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is on section Persistent Depressive Disorder, subsection Development and Course]
  15. Maletic V, Robinson M, Oakes T, Iyengar S, Ball SG, Russell J. Neurobiology of depression: an integrated view of key findings. Int J Clin Pract. 2007;61(12):2030-40.[Citation is on p.3, section Functional and Structural changes in MDD, paragraph 1]
  16. Maletic V, Robinson M, Oakes T, Iyengar S, Ball SG, Russell J. Neurobiology of depression: an integrated view of key findings. Int J Clin Pract. 2007;61(12):2030-40. [Citation is on p.4, paragraph 1]
  17. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Depressive Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is on section Persistent Depressive Disorder, subsection Diagnostic Criteria, number 8]
  18. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Depressive Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is on section Persistent Depressive Disorder, subsection Diagnostic Criteria, number 1 and 3]
  19. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). [Citation is on section Persistent Depressive Disorder, subsection Diagnostic Criteria, number 2.1]
  20. Nutt D, Wilson S, Paterson L. Sleep disorders as core symptoms of depression. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2008;10(3):329-36.[Citation is on p.2, Table II]
  21. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Depressive Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is on section Persistent Depressive Disorder, subsection Diagnostic Criteria, number 2.2]
  22. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Depressive Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is on section Persistent Depressive Disorder, subsection Diagnostic Criteria, number 3]
  23. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Depressive Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is on section Persistent Depressive Disorder, subsection Diagnostic Criteria, number 2.4]
  24. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Depressive Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is on section Persistent Depressive Disorder, subsection Diagnostic Criteria, number 2.3 and 2.5]
  25. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Depressive Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is on section Persistent Depressive Disorder, subsection Diagnostic Criteria, number 2.4 and 2.6]
  26. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Depressive Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is on section Persistent Depressive Disorder, subsection Development and Course, paragraph 2]
  27. American Psychiatric Association. (2013).  Depressive Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is on section Persistent Depressive Disorder, subsection Development and Course, paragraph 2]
  28. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Depressive Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is on section Persistent Depressive Disorder, subsection Differential Diagnosis, subsubsection Major depressive disorder, paragraph 1]
  29. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Depressive Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is on section Persistent Depressive Disorder, subsection Differential Diagnosis, paragraph 3]
  30. Hales, R; Yudofsky, S; Roberts, L. (2014) The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry, Sixth Edition. Chapter 11. [Citation is on p.22, section Persistent Depressive Disorder, subsection Management, paragraph 1]
  31. American Psychiatric Association. (2010). Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Major Depressive Disorder. (3rd ed.) [Citation is on p.18, section Psychotherapy plus antidepressant medication]
  32. Hales, R; Yudofsky, S; Roberts, L. (2014) The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry, Sixth Edition. Chapter 11. [Citation is on p.18, section Major Depressive Disorder, subsection Management, paragraphs 6 and 7]
  33. American Psychiatric Association. (2010). Depressive Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is on p.47, sections Interpersonal psychotherapy, paragraph 1; section Cognitive and behavioral therapies, paragraph 1]
  34. Hales, R; Yudofsky, S; Roberts, L. (2014) The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry, Sixth Edition. Chapter 11. [Citation is on p.22, section Persistent Depressive Disorder, subsection Differential DIagnosis, paragraph 1]
  35. Hales, R; Yudofsky, S; Roberts, L. (2014) The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry, Sixth Edition. Chapter 11. [Citation is on p.18, section Major Depressive Disorder, subsection Management, paragraph 2]
  36. American Psychiatric Association. (2010). Depressive Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is on p.33, section Serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors]
  37. Hales, R; Yudofsky, S; Roberts, L. (2014) The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry, Sixth Edition. Chapter 11. [Citation is on p.18, section Major Depressive Disorder, subsection Management, paragraphs 2 and 3]
  38. Kujala, U. M. (2009). Evidence on the effects of exercise therapy in the treatment of chronic disease. British journal of sports medicine, 43(8), 550-555.