Cyclothymia (pronounced /ˌsaɪkləˈθaɪmiə, ˌsɪklə-/) is a mood disorder and a form of bipolar disorder. It is defined in the bipolar spectrum. Specifically, this disorder is a form of bipolar II disorder consisting of recurrent mood disturbances between hypomania and dysthymic mood.

A single episode of hypomania is sufficient to diagnose cyclothymic disorder; however, most individuals also have dysthymic periods. The diagnosis of cyclothymic disorder is never made when there is a history of mania or major depressive episode or mixed episode. The lifetime prevalence of cyclothymic disorder is 0.4-1%.

The rate appears equal in men or women, though women more often seek treatment. A persistently unstable mood, involving many periods of mild depression and mild elation. This instability usually develops in late adolescence and follows a chronic course, although moods may be within norms for months at a time.

Mood swings are usually perceived by the individual as being unrelated to life events. The diagnosis is difficult to establish without a prolonged period of observation or an unusually good account of the individual's past behaviour. Because the mood swings are relatively mild and the episodes 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 behaviour. If required, age of onset may be specified as early (in late teenage or the twenties) or later. 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.

This implies that individual episodes of mood swings do not fulfill the criteria for any of the categories described under manic episode or major depressive episode.

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