Euthymia (medicine)
In psychiatry and psychology, euthymia is a normal, tranquil mental state or mood.
In those with bipolar disorder, euthymia is a stable mental state or mood that is neither manic nor depressive. Euthymia is also the “baseline” of other cyclical mood disorders like major depressive disorder (MDD), as well as borderline personality disorder (BPD) and narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). This state is the goal of psychiatric and psychological interventions.[1]
The term euthymia is derived from the Greek words “eu”, well, and “thymo”, soul or emotion. The word “
Democritus, who coined the philosophical concept of euthymia, said that euthymia is achieved when “one is satisfied with what is present and available, taking little heed of people who are envied and admired and observing the lives of those who suffer and yet endure”. This was later amended in the translation given by the Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger in which euthymia means a state of internal calm and contentment. Seneca was also the first to link the state of euthymia to a learning process; in order to achieve it, one must be aware of psychological well-being. Seneca’s definition included a caveat[clarification needed] about detachment from current events. Later, the Greek biographer Plutarch removed this caveat with his definition which focused more on learning from adverse events.[1]
In 1958, Marie Jahoda gave a modern clinical definition of mental health in the terms of positive symptoms by outlining the criteria for mental health: “autonomy (regulation of behavior from within), environmental mastery, satisfactory interactions with other people and the milieu, the individual’s style and degree of growth, development or self-actualization, the attitudes of an individual toward his/her own self”. In her definition she acknowledged the absence of disease as being necessary, but not enough, to constitute positive mental health, or euthymia.[1]
Parathymia, on the other hand, is related to pathological laughter (called “Witzelsucht”).[2]
See also
- Cyclothymia
- Hyperthymia
- Dysphoria
- Euphoria
- Euthymia (philosophy)
- Hypomania
- Major depressive disorder
- Mania
- Quality of life