Persistent Depressive Disorder Persistent Depressive Disorder Diagnosis & DSM-5 Criteria 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What minimum duration of depressed mood is required for a PDD diagnosis in children and adolescents per DSM-5?
- 6 months
- 1 year (Correct answer)
- 2 years
- 3 years
Correct answer: 1 year
For children and adolescents, DSM-5 requires at least 1 year of depressed or irritable mood for PDD.
Question 2: In children and adolescents, which mood presentation is specifically allowed as an alternative to depressed mood in PDD?
- Elevated mood
- Irritable mood (Correct answer)
- Euphoric mood
- Anxious mood
Correct answer: Irritable mood
DSM-5 allows irritable mood as an alternative to depressed mood in children and adolescents with PDD.
Question 3: Which diagnostic exclusion applies when evaluating PDD — the symptoms must NOT be better explained by which of the following?
- Anxiety disorder
- Substance use or medical condition (Correct answer)
- Personality disorder
- Sleep disorder
Correct answer: Substance use or medical condition
DSM-5 requires ruling out substance use or a general medical condition as the cause of PDD symptoms.
Question 4: Which condition is considered when both PDD and a Major Depressive Episode coexist, historically called 'double depression'?
- PDD with intermittent major depressive episodes (Correct answer)
- Bipolar II Disorder
- Cyclothymia
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
Correct answer: PDD with intermittent major depressive episodes
When MDE occurs on top of PDD, DSM-5 documents this with the specifier 'with intermittent major depressive episodes, with current episode.'
Question 5: Which DSM-5 specifier indicates that the current PDD episode began before age 21?
- With early onset (Correct answer)
- With childhood onset
- With adolescent onset
- With late onset
Correct answer: With early onset
DSM-5 uses the specifier 'with early onset' when PDD begins before age 21.
Question 6: PDD must be distinguished from cyclothymia primarily because cyclothymia includes:
- Only depressive episodes
- Periods of hypomania in addition to depressive symptoms (Correct answer)
- Psychotic features
- Seasonal mood patterns
Correct answer: Periods of hypomania in addition to depressive symptoms
Cyclothymia involves alternating hypomanic and depressive periods, unlike PDD which is unipolar and chronic.
Persistent Depressive Disorder Persistent Depressive Disorder Diagnosis & DSM-5 Criteria 2
What minimum duration of depressed mood is required for a PDD diagnosis in children and adolescents per DSM-5?