Types of Mood Disorders

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes of Mood DisordersSymptomsWhat Causes Mood Disorders?Diagnosing Mood DisordersTreatment for Mood Disorders

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Table of Contents

Types of Mood Disorders

Symptoms

What Causes Mood Disorders?

Diagnosing Mood Disorders

Treatment for Mood Disorders

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Mood disorders are conditions that affect a person’s emotional state. There are several different types of mood disorders, including bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, cyclothymic disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

A mood disorder is a condition that severely impactsmoodand its related functions. Mood disorder is a broad term that refers to the different types of depressive and bipolar disorders, all of which affect mood. If you have symptoms of a mood disorder, your moods may range from extremely low (depressed) to extremely high or irritable (manic).

At a GlanceMood disorders can affect how you feel and interact with the world. Major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder are two of the best-known mood disorders. However, there are also several other types that have their own distinct set of symptoms. If you are experiencing mood symptoms affecting your ability to cope and creating distress, it is essential to talk to your doctor or a mental health professional to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment.

At a Glance

Mood disorders can affect how you feel and interact with the world. Major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder are two of the best-known mood disorders. However, there are also several other types that have their own distinct set of symptoms. If you are experiencing mood symptoms affecting your ability to cope and creating distress, it is essential to talk to your doctor or a mental health professional to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment.

With the update of theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM-5) in 2013, mood disorders were separated into two groups:bipolarand related disorders and depressive disorders. Types of mood disorders include:

Unspecified Depressive Disorder in the DSM

New Mood Disorders

The DSM-5 added three new mood disorders. These include:

The DSM-5, text revision (DSM-5-TR) added a new category within the depressive disorders and bipolar disorders chapters—it’s called unspecified mood disorder.

With an unspecified mood disorder, a person displays symptoms characteristic of a mood disorder, but they don’t meet the criteria for a doctor to diagnose them with a depressive or bipolar disorder (including unspecified bipolar disorder or unspecified depressive disorder).It is applied to presentations where it is difficult to choose between an unspecified depressive or unspecified bipolar disorder.

Symptoms of Mood Disorders

Mood disorders can lead to difficulty in keeping up with the daily tasks and demands of life. Some people, especially children, may have physical symptoms of depression, like unexplained headaches or stomachaches.

Because there are various types of mood disorders, they can have very different effects on quality of life. In general, symptoms may include:

With mood disorders, these symptoms are ongoing and eventually start to affect daily life negatively. They’re not the sporadic thoughts and feelings that everyone has on occasion.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

No one knows the exact cause of mood disorders. A variety of factors seem to contribute to them, and they tend to run in families.

There is no single factor that alone causes mood disorders. Instead, a number of factors are believed to play a role, and certain things can increase a person’s risk of developing a mood disorder. Some factors that can play a role include:

Stressful life events likedeath,divorce, ortraumacan also trigger depression, especially if someone has already had it before or there’s a genetic component.

Millions of people experience mood disorders and are successfully treated, helping them live a better quality of life. Treatments for mood disorders can includepsychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, as well as medications to help regulate chemical imbalances in the brain. A combination of therapy and medication is often the best course of action.

Therapy

Another type of therapy that may be recommended for those with mood disorders isfamily therapy. Family therapy can help your loved ones learn more about your condition, which can help them become better able to support you during treatment.

Medication

A doctor may prescribe antidepressants for someone with a mood disorder. Antidepressants are used to treat both depression and certain types of bipolar disorder.

Mood-stabilizing medication(such aslithium), atypical antipsychotics, oranticonvulsantsare the main agents used to treat bipolar disorder.

Depakote (sodium valproate), Lamictal (lamotrigine), and Tegretol (carbamazepine) are anticonvulsants that are sometimes used to treat symptoms of bipolar disorder.Anticonvulsants are used to treat seizures in people with epilepsy but have been found to be effective in treating the symptoms of bipolar disorder as well.

What It’s Like Living with a Mood Disorder, As a Mental Health Professional

9 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. Washington, DC; 2013.National Institute of Mental Health.Bipolar disorder.National Alliance on Mental Illness.Depression.Starzer MSK, Nordentoft M, Hjorthøj C.Rates and predictors of conversion to schizophrenia or bipolar disorder following substance-induced psychosis.AJP. 2018;175(4):343-350. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17020223National Alliance on Mental Illness.Bipolar disorder.American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.Sekhon S, Gupta V.Mood Disorder. In:StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; May 8, 2023.Rowland TA, Marwaha S.Epidemiology and risk factors for bipolar disorder.Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2018;8(9):251-269. doi:10.1177/2045125318769235Picardi A, Gaetano P.Psychotherapy of mood disorders.Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2014;10:140-158. doi:10.2174/1745017901410010140Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association (APA).Highlights of changes from DSM-IV-TR to DSM-5.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Overview of mood disorders.Parker GF.DSM-5 and psychotic mood disorders.J Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 2014;42(2):182-190.

9 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. Washington, DC; 2013.National Institute of Mental Health.Bipolar disorder.National Alliance on Mental Illness.Depression.Starzer MSK, Nordentoft M, Hjorthøj C.Rates and predictors of conversion to schizophrenia or bipolar disorder following substance-induced psychosis.AJP. 2018;175(4):343-350. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17020223National Alliance on Mental Illness.Bipolar disorder.American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.Sekhon S, Gupta V.Mood Disorder. In:StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; May 8, 2023.Rowland TA, Marwaha S.Epidemiology and risk factors for bipolar disorder.Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2018;8(9):251-269. doi:10.1177/2045125318769235Picardi A, Gaetano P.Psychotherapy of mood disorders.Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2014;10:140-158. doi:10.2174/1745017901410010140Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association (APA).Highlights of changes from DSM-IV-TR to DSM-5.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Overview of mood disorders.Parker GF.DSM-5 and psychotic mood disorders.J Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 2014;42(2):182-190.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. Washington, DC; 2013.National Institute of Mental Health.Bipolar disorder.National Alliance on Mental Illness.Depression.Starzer MSK, Nordentoft M, Hjorthøj C.Rates and predictors of conversion to schizophrenia or bipolar disorder following substance-induced psychosis.AJP. 2018;175(4):343-350. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17020223National Alliance on Mental Illness.Bipolar disorder.American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.Sekhon S, Gupta V.Mood Disorder. In:StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; May 8, 2023.Rowland TA, Marwaha S.Epidemiology and risk factors for bipolar disorder.Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2018;8(9):251-269. doi:10.1177/2045125318769235Picardi A, Gaetano P.Psychotherapy of mood disorders.Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2014;10:140-158. doi:10.2174/1745017901410010140

American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. Washington, DC; 2013.

National Institute of Mental Health.Bipolar disorder.

National Alliance on Mental Illness.Depression.

Starzer MSK, Nordentoft M, Hjorthøj C.Rates and predictors of conversion to schizophrenia or bipolar disorder following substance-induced psychosis.AJP. 2018;175(4):343-350. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17020223

National Alliance on Mental Illness.Bipolar disorder.

American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.

Sekhon S, Gupta V.Mood Disorder. In:StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; May 8, 2023.

Rowland TA, Marwaha S.Epidemiology and risk factors for bipolar disorder.Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2018;8(9):251-269. doi:10.1177/2045125318769235

Picardi A, Gaetano P.Psychotherapy of mood disorders.Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2014;10:140-158. doi:10.2174/1745017901410010140

American Psychiatric Association (APA).Highlights of changes from DSM-IV-TR to DSM-5.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Overview of mood disorders.Parker GF.DSM-5 and psychotic mood disorders.J Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 2014;42(2):182-190.

American Psychiatric Association (APA).Highlights of changes from DSM-IV-TR to DSM-5.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Overview of mood disorders.

Parker GF.DSM-5 and psychotic mood disorders.J Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 2014;42(2):182-190.

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