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Euthymia
Euthymia
a
Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; b Department of Psychiatry, State University of
New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, N.Y., USA; c Psychiatric Research Unit, Psychiatric Centre North Zealand, Copenhagen
When a patient, in the longitudinal course of mood Similar considerations apply to the use of the term eu-
disturbances, no longer meets the threshold of a disorder thymia in unipolar depression and dysthymia, where the
such as depression or mania, as assessed by categorical overlap with the concept of recovery is considerable [9,
methods resulting in diagnostic criteria or by cutoff 10]. Again, euthymia is often defined essentially in nega-
points in the dimensional measurement of rating scales, tive terms, as a lack of a certain intensity of mood symp-
he or she is often labeled as euthymic. Bipolar disorder toms, and not as the presence of specific positive features
patients spend about half of their time in depression, ma- that characterize recovery [9]. This introduces the need
nia or mixed states [1]. The remaining periods are defined for a more comprehensive definition of euthymia.
as euthymic. Research identifying the mechanisms that
cause the switch to acute mania or depressive episodes
has been called for [2]. These efforts have outlined neu- The Origins of the Concept
rocognitive mechanisms [3], structural abnormalities [4],
neurotransmitter alterations [5] and sleep disturbances The term euthymia has a Greek origin and results from
[6]. However, considerable fluctuations in psychological the combination of ‘eu’ meaning ‘well’ and ‘thymos’
distress, often subsumed under the rubric of subclinical meaning ‘soul, emotion’. This latter term encompasses
or residual symptomatology, were recorded in studies however four different meanings: life energy; feelings and
with longitudinal designs, suggesting that the illness is passions; will, desire and inclination; thought and intel-
always active, even though its intensity may vary [7]. Such ligence. Interestingly, its verb (euthymeo) means both I
findings are consistent with the socioeconomic, psycho- am happy, in good spirits and I make other people happy,
social and clinical deterioration in these patients [7]. It is I reassure and encourage. The definition of euthymia is
thus questionable whether subthreshold symptomatic generally ascribed to Democritus: one is satisfied with
periods truly represent euthymia or are simply a part of what is present and available, taking little heed of people
the manifestations of bipolar illness [7]. Further, with who are envied and admired and observing the lives of
longitudinal designs, considerable variations in biologi- those who suffer and yet endure [11]. It is a state of quiet
cal measurements emerged [8], casting doubts upon the satisfaction, a balance of emotions that defeats fears. The
reliability of such measurements for inferring a premor- Latin philosopher Seneca translated the Greek expression
bid or stable state. of euthymia with ‘tranquillitas animi’ (a state of internal
87.116.180.222 - 7/7/2017 10:41:33 PM
E-Mail giovanniandrea.fava @ unibo.it
calm and contentment) and linked it to psychological that psychopathology is marked by deviations from the
well-being as a learning process. Happiness is not every- optimal balance. As pointed out by Wood and Tarrier
thing and what is required is ‘felicitatis intellectus’, the [18], also excessively elevated levels of positive emotions
awareness of well-being: can become detrimental and are more connected with
Happy is thus the life that is in accordance to its nature, and this mental disorders and impaired functioning.
is possible only when the mind, first of all, is healthy at any time; Ryff [19] derived her model of psychological well-be-
then, if it is strong and energetic, definitely patient, capable of mas- ing from Jahoda’s first 5 dimensions of positive function-
tering everything; concerned with the body and its belongings, but ing, which were slightly reworded, and introduced a
without anxiety; lover of what is life, but with detachment; willing method for their assessment, the Psychological Well-Be-
to take advantage of the gifts of fortune, without being its slave.
[Seneca: De Vita Beata, translation by G.A.F.] ing scales (PWB). Jahoda, however, also outlined a char-
acteristic that was very much related to the concept of
Plutarch, who attempted a synthesis of Greek and Lat- euthymia which was defined as integration: the individu-
in cultures, criticized a concept of euthymia that involves al’s balance of psychic forces (flexibility), a unifying out-
detachment from current events, as portrayed by Epicu- look on life which guides actions and feelings to shape the
rus, and underscored the learning potential of mood al- future accordingly, and resistance to stress (resilience and
terations and adverse life situations. anxiety or frustration tolerance). It is not simply a gener-
It took a long time before these concepts were ap- ic (and clinically useless) effort of avoiding excesses and
proached in their clinical meanings. In 1958 Marie Jahoda extremes. It is how the individual adjusts the psychologi-
[12] published an extraordinary book on positive mental cal dimensions of well-being to changing needs. Unfortu-
health. She denied that ‘the concept of mental health can nately Ryff missed the euthymia component of Jahoda’s
be usefully defined by identifying it with the absence of a model [12] in putting together the PWB.
disease. It would seem, consequently, to be more fruitful In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in
to tackle the concept of mental health in its more positive the concept of flexibility, which revives Jahoda’s concep-
connotation, noting, however, that the absence of disease tualizations [12]. Kashdan and Rottenberg [20] view psy-
may constitute a necessary, but not sufficient, criterion for chological flexibility as the ability to recognize and adapt
mental health’ [12, pp. 14–15]. She outlined criteria for to various situational demands; to change one’s para-
positive mental health: autonomy (regulation of behavior digms when these strategies compromise personal or so-
from within), environmental mastery, satisfactory inter- cial functioning; to maintain balance among important
actions with other people and the milieu, the individual’s life domains, and to display consistency in one’s behavior
style and degree of growth, development or self-actualiza- and deeply held values. The absence of flexibility is likely
tion, the attitudes of an individual toward his/her own self to yield depression, anxiety and the general tendency to
(self-perception/acceptance). experience negative emotions more frequently, intensely,
In the first edition of his Personality and Adjustment and readily, for more enduring periods of time, in what
[13] Lazarus referred to the writings of Jahoda [12] espe- has been subsumed under the rubric of neuroticism [20].
cially focusing on her view that a competent person is bet- Tyrer et al. [21] remarked that what is shared by syn-
ter adjusted than an incompetent one to manage inter- dromes such as anxiety, panic, phobic disturbances and
personal relationships and to succeed in self-develop- irritability may be as important as the differences between
ment in an individually chosen direction. In his them, and conditions that are apparently comorbid could
monograph on Psychological Stress and the Coping Pro- be part of the same clinical syndrome. They argued that
cess [14], Lazarus introduced the term ‘eustress’ (‘good the combination of mixed anxiety and depressive disor-
stress’) to underline the positive cognitive response to ders together with a certain type of abnormal personality
stress to be identified in healthy competent people as de- (excessive timidity, poor self-esteem, avoidance of anxi-
fined by Jahoda [12]. When summarizing his 40 years of ety-provoking situations and dependence on others) con-
stress research, Selye [15] used the term ‘eustress’. He stitutes a single syndrome, the general neurotic syndrome
concluded [16] that it is not possible to suppress stress in [21]. This syndrome was shown to be associated with a
all forms, but the goal of each person is to diminish dis- poor response to treatment, a frequency of symptoms
tress and to facilitate eustress, the psychological sensation throughout the neurotic diagnostic spectrum and a ten-
of well-being. In 1991, Garamoni et al. [17] suggested that dency to relapse. The concept of neurosis, in its phenom-
healthy functioning is characterized by an optimal bal- enological [22] and psychodynamic [23] traditions, still
ance of positive and negative cognitions or affects and has a lot to teach us in terms of clinical thinking [24]. It is
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