Routine use of operational diagnostic criteria affects the pharmacotherapy of dysthymia: national questionnaire survey of experienced psychiatrists in Japan.
The purpose of the present paper was to evaluate, with the use of a questionnaire, how Japanese psychiatrists diagnose and treat a typical adult dysthymia case. Clinicians who routinely use operational diagnostic criteria (ODC) had more correct diagnoses than those who did not. Approximately 70% of psychiatrists who routinely use ODC chose selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI) as the first choice of treatment, while of those psychiatrists who do not use these criteria, only half prescribed SSRI. This difference was statistically significant (P = 0.01). The results of the present study suggest that psychiatrists who are familiar with ODC tend to treat dysthymia according to evidence-based pharmacotherapy.
Endo
Taro
T
Department of Psychiatry, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.
Shioiri
Toshiki
T
Kitamura
Hideaki
H
Someya
Toshiyuki
T
D000328:Adult; D019263:Dysthymic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011570:Psychiatry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires