Characteristics of patients with major depression in combination with dysthymic or cyclothymic disorders.

The relationship between patients with acute major depression and chronic affective disorders was investigated in 298 nonpsychotic outpatients. The patients were categorized into 4 groups: major depression only, major depression with dysthymic or cyclothymic disorder, dysthymic or cyclothymic disorder without major depression and one group of other psychiatric disorders. The patients were interviewed about childhood losses, relationship to...