The 6 types of Mood Disorders

These diagnostic labels are used to understand emotion-based mental disturbances.

Our moods move us. When we are sad we tend to shut down, seek to avoid action and withdraw from things, while when we are happy and elated we tend to be energetic and want to act.

Although some people act very rationally and claim to leave their emotions aside, they are what allow us to motivate us to do or not to do something, to decide whether we like something or not or whether we tend to approach or avoid situations or stimuli.

It also influences how we see the world and ourselves. In short, it is something very relevant and that marks to a great extent our ability to adapt. But more and more we meet people whose mood is not adaptive, is fixed in an extreme pathological way and hinders their well-being and functionality. We are talking about mood disorders.

What do we call mood disorders?

They are understood by disorders of the state of the mood to that set of psychic alterations linked to the presence of altered moods of more or less persistent way that generate a significant alteration in the life of the person, resulting in such an extreme and pathological mood state, making it difficult for the person to adapt to his or her life. making it difficult for the person to adapt to daily life.

These are disorders that cause profound suffering to the person, altering aspects such as self-esteem, the way of seeing the world and events and of attributing causes and responsibilities. They affect not only the affective sphere itself, but also cognition and even the perception of the environment. They also have repercussions in all areas of life, changing the way of relating to the environment and to the rest of the subjects who are part of it.

This is the group of disorders, together with anxiety disorders, most prevalent worldwide, with a high percentage of the population suffering from some type of affectation of this type. It should also be noted that the other group of disorders we have just mentioned, anxiety disorders, are deeply linked to these disorders, are deeply linked to these disorders being frequent that they appear jointly or that the ailments that one generates end up causing the other one.

Disorders included

Within mood disorders we can find some of the mental disorders with the highest incidence and prevalence worldwide.

Some of the most relevant nosological and diagnostic entities are the following, although we must bear in mind that we can also find unspecified depressive and bipolar disorders (which do not have sufficient characteristics of the disorders we are going to talk about but are related) and those induced by substances and/or medical illness.

1. Major depressive disorder

The most prevalent mood disorder of all and one of the best known mental disorders.. It is characterized by the presence for at least two weeks of a sad and depressed mood most of the day along with the loss or decrease of motivation and the ability to feel pleasure, in addition to other symptoms such as sleep, eating and concentration problems, slowing or agitation, fatigue, hopelessness and passivity.

They also often have trouble making decisions and may experience suicidal thoughts and desires.

2. Dysthymia (now persistent depressive disorder)

Similar to the previous one but generally with less intensity in symptoms and with a much longer duration (it can become chronic), it is identified as such a disorder characterized by the presence for at least two years during most of the day for almost every day (not having symptom-free periods of more than two months in a row) of a depressed and sad mood, in addition to eating and sleeping problems, fatigue, low self-esteem, hopelessness and problems with concentration and decision making.

Although at the time it may seem less severe may seem less serious than a major depression as its symptoms are of less intensityIt should also be taken into account that the problems remain for much longer, producing a wear and tear due to accumulation that should be taken into account.

3. Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is another of the main and best known mood disorders, in which there is usually an alternation between manic episodes (in which an expansive and irritable mood, high level of energy, feelings of grandiosity that can reach delirium, verbosity, accelerated thinking, distractibility for at least a week, risky behaviors and in some cases hallucinations at such a high level that sometimes hospitalization is required) or hypomanic episodes (similar to the previous one but with less intensity and duration), risk behaviors and in some cases hallucinations at such a high level that sometimes hospitalization is required) or hypomanic episodes (similar to the previous one but of less intensity and duration, being present for at least four days and although observable does not generate deterioration) and depressive episodes (equivalent in symptomatology to the symptoms described in major depression, which actually implies the existence of this type of episodes).

In reality there is not one, but two basic types of bipolar disorder two basic types of bipolar disorder. In bipolar disorder type 1 the subject experiences or has experienced at least one manic or mixed episode, which may or may not be preceded or followed by a depressive and hypomanic episode. To diagnose type 2, there must be at least one depressive and one hypomanic episode (with no manic or mixed episode).

4. Cyclothymia or cyclothymic disorder

Cyclothymia is understood as a mood disorder in which the subject presents multiple alternating hypomanic and depressive symptoms, without sufficient intensity to be diagnosed as a depressive or bipolar episode or disorder for at least two years. The symptoms are continuous and there is usually a rapid alternation, within days.

This would be the equivalent of the relationship between dysthymia and depression but in the case of bipolar disorder, being milder than bipolar in symptomatology but much more prolonged and with faster cycles.

Changes in the DSM-5

Although most professionals continue to consider them as mood disorders, the fact is that this diagnostic label has disappeared as such in the latest version of one of the main reference manuals, the DSM-5. The DSM-5 has opted to no longer include all mood disorders in a single category but in two, due to the existence of two generic types of this disorder.

Thus, we can now find that instead of mood disorders, the various psychopathologies mentioned above are grouped into two broad categories: bipolar disorders and depressive disorders.

This decision can generate the problem of considering them as very different clinical entities when they are often related. when they are often related, but in practice they are still the same problems as those previously known, which in practice has great repercussions.

What is relevant is the creation of new added diagnostic labels, which, although no longer so called, would also form part of what are known as mood disorders.

Disorders added in the DSM-5

In addition to those mentioned above, in the latest version of the DSM we find that some new diagnostic labels have been generated. In this regard, two disorders that were not previously identified as belonging to mood disorders or included in other disorders stand out among the new ones.

1. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

Although premenstrual syndrome was previously known to exist, being widespread and suffered by a large number of women, the DSM-5 has added premenstrual syndrome as a disorder.

It is considered as such the presence during most menstrual cycles of affective lability (i.e. rapid mood swings), irritability, anxiety, intense tension, self-deprecation or depression together with fatigue, sleep problems, appetite disturbances, pain, disinterest and concentration problems. and concentration problems, being necessary that at least five of these symptoms occur during the week prior to the arrival of menstruation.

2. Destructive mood dysregulation disorder

This disorder is defined by the presence for at least one year and almost on a daily basis of disproportionate anger and irritability The first symptoms appear before the age of ten and are not diagnosed before the age of six or after the age of eighteen, and are not diagnosed before the age of six or after the age of eighteen.

These occur at least three times and can be observed per week in more than two different contexts, with the first symptoms appearing before the age of ten and not being diagnosed before the age of six or after the age of eighteen.

Bibliographical references:

• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Fifth edition. DSM-V. Masson, Barcelona.