Dysthymia is the medical term for a tendency to be downhearted. More recently it has been used to define a specific form of mood disorder characterized by chronic mild depression that is present most of the time over a period of more than two years.
When there is an obvious cause for depression in outer circumstances, the term dysthymia is only used if the depressed mood is excessive in relation to the cause. In older people dysthymia often accompanies chronic physical disease, such as heart disease or diabetes, although it is not caused by the disease itself. People with dysthymia struggle more with the stress of a modern lifestyle because of their tendency for pessimism and self-criticism.
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