Mood disorders are mental health issues which primarily affect a person’s emotional wellbeing through long periods of extreme happiness, sadness, or a combination of both. In general, mood changes are considered to be normal. However, when symptoms become persistent for several weeks or months, a mood disorder may be diagnosed. Mood disorders may cause behavioural changes, and at times may also affect a person’s ability to deal with day-to-day activities such as work and school.
Mood Disorders feature a change in mood (sustained emotional attitude) or affect (others’ perception of the person’s emotional state). This change is usually accompanied by a change in the overall activity level of the person, along with other symptoms secondary to or relevant to the said change. This period tends to be recurrent, with the onset of each individual episode being triggered by neurobiological or psychosocial factors.
Mood Disorders: 7 Main Categories
- Manic Episode
- Bipolar Affective Disorder
- Depressive Episode
- Recurrent Depressive Disorder
- Persistent Mood (Affective) Disorder
- Other Mood (Affective) Disorder
- Unspecified Mood (Affective) Disorder
(ICD-10, WHO)
Neurobiological Factors Triggering Onset of Mood Disorders
- Genetic
- Neurotransmitters: norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin
- Neuroendocrine System: overactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis
Psychosocial Factors Triggering Onset of Mood Disorders
- Life events eg. romantic breakup, job loss, death of a loved one, lack of support…
- Interpersonal difficulties eg. high levels of expressed emotion by family member; marital conflicts
- Rejection – caused by behaviour of depressed people eg. negative self disclosures, slow speech etc.
- Neuroticism – trait disposition to experience negative affects, including anger, anxiety, self‐consciousness, irritability, emotional instability, and depression
Psychological Factors: Cognitive Theories
Overview of DSM-5
ICD-10 vs DSM-5
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