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.