Rosh Psychiatry Board Practice Exam

What symptom characteristic is necessary to diagnose cyclothymic disorder?

1. Symptoms are concurrent with substance abuse

2. Symptoms are present continually for two years

3. Symptoms are never gone for more than two consecutive months

4. Symptoms do not cause serious psychosocial impairment

The correct answer is: Symptoms are never gone for more than two consecutive months

The characteristic necessary to diagnose cyclothymic disorder is that symptoms are never gone for more than two consecutive months. Cyclothymic disorder is classified as a mood disorder and is characterized by chronic fluctuations in mood involving periods of hypomanic symptoms and periods of depressive symptoms that do not meet the full criteria for major depressive episodes. For a diagnosis of cyclothymic disorder, the individual must experience numerous periods of these symptoms for at least two years (or one year in children and adolescents). However, one of the critical components of this condition is that the fluctuating mood symptoms must not be absent for more than two months at a time. This criterion helps differentiate cyclothymic disorder from other mood disorders, like major depressive disorder, where the symptoms can be more episodic. The other provided characteristics do not align with the diagnostic criteria for cyclothymic disorder: - Having symptoms concurrent with substance abuse does not specifically apply to cyclothymic disorder since the diagnosis focuses on mood fluctuations, regardless of substance use. - While symptoms must be present for a significant duration, it's critical that the criteria regarding the continuity of symptoms (no more than two months without symptoms) is met as well. - The disorder can cause varying levels of psychos