Treating dysthymia and minor depression in primary care.

In the fast-paced setting of primary care, it is difficult to detect psychiatric disorders, especially the more subtle disorders, such as minor depression and dysthymia. In cases of dysthymia, in particular, the patients themselves may not even have a sense that anything medically treatable is wrong; they feel as though their life has little to offer. A rapid screening method that could be used routinely in primary care, along with a straightforward characterization method and treatment regimen, has the potential to help many patients.