Mood Disorders

Mood disorders* are characterized by a disturbance in mood as the central symptom.  It is normal for individuals to experience general ups and downs in response to life events.  For some individuals, however, mood disturbances cause "clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning” (DSM-IV, 2000).

Mood disorders are categorized in two major areas according to the type of mood episode:

1) Depressive Disorders and 2) Bipolar Disorders.  Depressive disorders are characterized by a depressed mood state and bipolar disorders are characterized by manic mood states with possible depressive mood states. There are also mood disorders due to a general medical condition or a substance-induced state. 

Depressive mood states are characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest in activities, feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness, decreased energy, and changes in eating and sleeping habits.  Clinical Depression is unlike the normal periods of sadness or mood changes that all people experience.

Manic mood states are characterized by a distinct period of abnormal and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood.  Behaviors and/or thoughts associated with manic mood states are inflated self-esteem or grandiosity, decreased need for sleep, extreme happiness or elation, anger, general unpleasant mood, increased physical activity, increased mental capacity, increased energy, increased talking and rapid speech, and/or increased risk taking and impulsive behaviors.

Symptoms may be different for children and adolescents with possible mood changes characterized with irritability as apposed to sadness.

Mood Disorders* Include:

Major Depressive Disorder

Characterized by one or more major depressive episodes.

Dysthymic Disorder

Characterized by at least 2 years (1 for children or adolescents) of depressed mood for more days than not.

Bipolar I Disorder

Characterized by one or more manic or mixed episodes, and usually accompanied by major depressive episodes.

Bipolar II Disorder

Characterized by one or more major depressive episodes accompanied by at least one hypomanic episode.

Cyclothymic Disorder

Characterized by at least 2 years of numerous periods of hypomanic symptoms and depressive symptoms that are not severe enought to meet criteria for major depressive episode or manic episode.

Mood Disorders Due to General Medical Condition

 Characterized by a prominent distrubance in modd that is judged to be a direct physiological consequence of a general medical condition.

Substance- Induced Mood Disorder

Characterized by a prominent disturbance in mood that is judged to be a direct physiological consequnece of a drug of abuse, a medication, another somatic treatment for depression, or toxin.

RELATED LINKS

1. SAMHSA National Mental Health Information Center - mood disorder
2. The Storm in My Brain - Kids and Mood Disorders (Bipolar and Depression)

* - As defined by the DSM-IV,  the National Institute of Mental Health, and the National

     Alliance on Mental Health.