Cyclothymic Disorder

Prevalence

The lifetime prevalence of cyclothymic disorder is approximately 0.4%-1%.
In the general population, cyclothymic disorder is apparently equally common in males and females.
In clinical settings, females with cyclothymic disorder may be more likely to present for treatment than males.

Major depressive disorder, bipolar I disorder, and bipolar II disorder are more common among first-degree biological relatives of individuals with cyclothymic disorder than in the general population.
There may also be an increased familial risk of substance-related disorders.
Cyclothymic disorder may be more common in the first-degree biological relatives of individuals with bipolar I disorder than in the general population.

For at least 2 years (at least 1 year in children and adolescents) there have been numerous periods with hypomanic symptoms that do not meet criteria for a hypomanic episode and numerous periods with depressive symptoms that do not meet criteria for a major depressive episode.
During the above 2-year period (1 year in children and adolescents), the hypomanic and depressive periods have been present for at least half the time and the individual has not been without the symptoms for more than 2 months at a time.
Criteria for a major depressive, manic, or hypomanie episode have never been met.
The symptoms are not better explained by schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, delusional disorder, or other specified or unspecified schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorder.
The symptoms are not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance or another medical condition .
The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.