Mood disorders are serious psychiatric disorders that involve variations in mood for long drawn out periods of time. Mania and depression are considered to be the two main key aspects of mood disorders. Mania is accompanied by powerful and impracticable feelings of elation and may lead to the development of hypomania and depression is accompanied by feelings of a high degree of sadness, misery, gloom and unhappiness. Some individuals may experience both mania as well as depression, while others only experience depression.

Mood disorders can occur at any point of time in life from early childhood to old age and can be extremely debilitating for the individual. In sever forms of these disorders the normal functioning of the individual can be impaired at social, professional and personal levels. Suicidal tendencies can also develop in these individuals resulting in accidental deaths.

Types of Mood disorders:

Mood disorders are broadly divided in two categories:

Unipolar Disorders: The frequency of these disorders is higher than bipolar disorders and they are characterized by depressive episodes.

Bipolar Disorders: These disorders are considered to be extremely debilitating and the individual experiences both manic as well as depressive episodes.

Mood disorders are differentiated on the basis of severity and duration of the mood alterations.

Unipolar Mood Disorders:

Dysthymia: Individuals with this disorder have a constant depressed mood for a minimum period of at least two years. This disorder is accompanied by loss of appetite, low-self esteem, impaired decision-making abilities, inability to concentrate and feelings of despair.

Adjustment Disorder with depressed mood: This disorder lasts for a maximum of six months and develops in response to a specific stressor. The individual with this disorder is unable to adjust to life situations following a break-up, divorce, unemployment or heavy financial loss etc. Once the stressor is removed, the symptoms of this disorder begin to subside.

Major Depressive Disorder: An individual with this disorder has a constant depressed mood and shows a notable loss of interest in enjoyable activities. It is characterized by insomnia or hypersomnia, loss of appetite, weight loss, inability to concentrate, low self esteem and recurrent feelings of suicide. The sun-types of this disorder are melancholia and severe major depressive episodes with psychotic features.

Bipolar Disorders:

Bipolar I disorder: In this disorder the individual experiencesa major depressive episode accompanied by one or more manic episodes.

Bipolar II disorder: In this disorder the individual experiences a major depressive episode and has had one or more hypomanic episodes.