Abstract

Recurrent brief depressive disorder (RBD) is a well-defined and significantly prevalent affective disorder with an increased risk of suicidal behaviour and significant clinical impairment in the community and general practice. RBD is characterized by depressive episodes occurring at least once a month and lasting for only few days and the lack of a successful treatment represents one of the main challenges of this disorder. We report on a 21-years-old married woman who presented with a three years history of sudden depressive episode with a twenty days recurrences lasting 7-10 days of depressive symptoms such as psychomotor retardation and mutism. The patient was treated with imipramine and fluoxetine for a while and in spite of maintaining the treatment, recurrence of depressive episodes were continued but since sodium valporate therapy was added, she has remained euthymic without any recurrence of depressive symptoms. The absence of recurrence for a year since sodium valporate treatment was started, suggest a prophylactic effect of this agent on RBD.