Mood changes

Depression can be defined as a general mood t characterized by a sense of inadequacy, a feeling of despondency, a decrease in activity or reactivity or pessimism, sadness and related symptoms.

Mood is perhaps best characterized by Russel’s (2003) ‘core effect’, described as neurophysiological state that is consciously accessible, primitive and simple at psychological level, but complex at an etiological level.

In particular, he describes mood as ‘free floating’, in that although it may be attributed to a cause to event, it does not necessarily have one.

Most people experience a pattern of fairly regular ‘ups and downs’. Mood instability of any kind has come to be seen by many clinicians as a symptom of bipolar disorder.

Depression is commonest mood disorder following brain injury and it has been estimated to occur in 25% - 60% of individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) within 8 years of injury.

Research by Rudolph and Kim in 1996 showed that mood responses to aerobic, dance, soccer, tennis and bowling and positive mood was enhanced in students participating in aerobic dance and soccer.
Mood changes