What condition is referred to when a patient experiences major depressive disorder episodes in conjunction with dysthymia?

The term used to describe a condition where a patient experiences episodes of major depressive disorder alongside persistent mild depression (dysthymia) is known as double depression. This condition reflects the coexistence of a more severe depressive episode on top of an ongoing underlying chronic depressive state, which is characteristic of dysthymia or what is now referred to as persistent depressive disorder. Patients may have dysthymia, providing a baseline of depressive symptoms, and then experience more intense phases of major depression, leading to the term "double depression."

This condition underscores the importance of recognizing both the chronic and acute aspects of a patient's depressive symptoms as they can significantly impact treatment and management strategies. Persistent depressive disorder is a more precise term for dysthymia but does not specifically indicate the presence of episodes of major depression, which is why double depression is the most accurate term in this case. Rapid cycling refers to the frequency of mood episodes, particularly in bipolar disorder, and does not relate to the combination of major depressive episodes with dysthymia. Major depressive disorder itself is a diagnosis but does not encapsulate the ongoing nature of the symptoms seen alongside dysthymia.