Mood Disorder

Mood is defined as a pervasive and sustained feeling tone that is endured internally, and that impacts nearly all aspects of a person’s behavior in the external world. Mood disorders or affective disorders are described by marked disruptions in emotions (severe lows called depression or highs called hypomania or mania). These are common psychiatric disorders leading to an increase in morbidity and mortality. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), mood disorders have been broadly categorized as bipolar disorders and depressive disorders. Bipolar disorders are further categorized as bipolar I, bipolar II, cyclothymic disorder, bipolar and related disorder to another medical condition, substance/medication-induced bipolar and related disorder, other specified bipolar and related disorder, and unspecified bipolar and related disorder. Bipolar I disorder is defined as a syndrome in which a complete set of mania symptoms (elevated mood with three or more of the following symptoms- increased goal-directed activity, grandiosity, a diminished need for sleep, distractibility, racing thoughts, increased/pressured speech, and reckless behaviors) has occurred lasting for at least one week or required hospitalization. If the mood is irritable instead of elevated, four or more of the aforementioned symptoms are needed to meet the criteria for a manic episode. Bipolar II disorder consists of current or past major depressive episodes int...