[Dysthymic disorder and depressive personality]

Abstract

Depressive personality is a clinic category of Kurt Schneider psychopathic personalities. Despite definition of DSM III Axe II personality disorders criteria is Kurt Schneider' definition of psychopathic personalities, no depressive personality disorders is mentionned in Axe II. Axe I dysthymic disorder is a chronic state of depression with depressive traits. The hypothesis that some depressive personality disorders are included in this category cannot be rejected. More generally, DSM III classification regulation discriminate states, but, less operationally, traits which include affective variables with questionnable inter-rating reliability.