Cyclothymia is a chronic, but less extreme, form of bipolar disorder that consists of short periods of mild depression alternating with short periods of hypomania. The onset of each phase is separated by short periods of normal mood. This diagnosis is excluded if the patient has had either a manic episode or a major depressive episode.

The essential feature is a persistent instability of mood, involving numerous periods of mild depression and mild elation, none of which has been sufficiently severe or prolonged to fulfill the criteria for bipolar disorder or recurrent depressive disorder. Individual episodes of mood swings do not fulfill the criteria for any of the categories described under manic episode or depressive episode.

The mood swings are usually perceived by the individual as being unrelated to life events. Because the mood swings are relatively mild and the periods of mood elevation may be enjoyable, cyclothymia frequently fails to come to medical attention. In some cases this may be because the mood change, although present, is less prominent than cyclical changes in activity, self-confidence, sociability, or appetitive behavior.

The lifetime prevalence of cyclothymic disorder is 0.4-1%. The rate appears equal in men or women, though women more often seek treatment. Cyclothymia usually develops early in adult life (late teens to early twenties) and pursues a chronic course, although at times the mood may be normal and stable for months at a time.

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