The aim of this study was to investigate whether euthymic patients in remission on lithium prophylaxis score higher on the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS) than healthy subjects, thus indicating a trait quality of dysfunctional attitudes in unipolar depression. A total of 79 patients with recurrent unipolar depressive episodes and 79 individually matched healthy controls were compared using a Swedish version of the DAS. The results indicate that DAS score is a state-dependent variable in depressive disorder.