However, it is not a garbage pail, but provides a valuable way to categorize depression that does not fit into the other categories. The alternative would be to have several additional diagnostic categories. That is not useful, unless the different diagnoses require different treatment. This category includes people with serious depression, but not quite severe enough for a diagnosis of a major depression, so moderate depression would be included here. This would also include people with mild to moderate depression who have not been depressed long enough to be diagnosed with a dysthymic disorder.
Dysthymic disorder requires depressive symptoms to be present for two years.
It also includes those individuals who continue to be depressed, in response to some traumatic event, but the depression has lasted longer than expected for an adjustment disorder with depression. In an adjustment disorder, the expectation is that the depression will last no more than about six months after the stressor has ended. The treatment plan remains the same as for other depressive disorders. Cognitive psychotherapy is effective in reducing depressive symptoms, and the cognitive distortions that appear to cause the mood problem. Interpersonal psychotherapy is used to help the individual resolve relationship problems that are causing the depression.