This study addressed 2 questions: (a) is early-onset dysthymia associated with reports of a disturbed childhood home environment; and (b) can adverse early experiences account, at least in part, for the differing clinical presentations of dysthymia and major depression? Participants included 97 outpatients with early-onset dysthymia, 45 outpatients with episodic major depression, and 45 normal controls. The early home environment was assessed blind to diagnosis using both interview and self-report measures. Early-onset dysthymia patients reported significantly more physical and sexual abuse and poorer relationships with both parents than normal controls. In addition, patients with dysthymia reported having received significantly poorer parenting than those with episodic major depression. The results could not be accounted for by mood state effects, comorbidity with borderline and antisocial personality disorder, or comorbid major depression.