Mood Disorders
A mood disorder is a mental health condition characterized by persistent emotional changes or disturbances that affect an individual's overall emotional state, resulting in significant impairment in daily functioning. Mood disorders are commonly divided into two main categories: depressive disorders and bipolar disorders.
Depressive disorders are characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyable. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most common type of depressive disorder, and it is diagnosed when an individual has experienced one or more major depressive episodes (MDE) lasting at least two weeks.
Bipolar disorders, also known as manic-depressive illness, involve periods of depression alternating with periods of elevated or irritable mood, known as mania or hypomania. Bipolar disorder type I is diagnosed when an individual has experienced at least one manic episode, while bipolar disorder type II is diagnosed when an individual has experienced at least one hypomanic episode and one major depressive episode.
Other types of mood disorders include cyclothymic disorder, which involves cycling between mild depression and hypomania, and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, which is characterized by severe and recurrent temper outbursts in children and adolescents.
Major Depressive Disorder: The presence of at least one major depressive episode, which includes symptoms such as depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, significant weight loss or gain, insomnia or hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation or retardation, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt, diminished ability to concentrate, and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.
Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia): Depressed mood that lasts for at least two years, along with at least two additional symptoms of depression.
Bipolar I Disorder: The presence of at least one manic episode, which includes symptoms such as elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, grandiosity or inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, pressured speech, racing thoughts, distractibility, increased goal-directed activity, and excessive involvement in pleasurable activities with a high potential for painful consequences.
Bipolar II Disorder: The presence of at least one hypomanic episode and at least one major depressive episode.
Cyclothymic Disorder: A chronic mood disorder characterized by cycling between hypomanic and depressive symptoms for at least two years.
Other Specified and Unspecified Depressive Disorder: A diagnosis given when an individual's symptoms do not meet the criteria for any of the above mood disorders, but they still experience clinically significant distress or impairment.