Mood disorders

Mood disorders are a group of mental illnesses that affect how the person feel and think about him or herself, other people and life in general. They are medical conditions that affect the brain. Their exact cause is not known, but we do know that an imbalance in brain chemicals plays a role.

Mood disorders include major depression, bipolar disorder (combining episodes of both mania and depression) and dysthymia.

The mood disorders are understood as arising from a complex interplay of genetic vulnerabilities, early life experiences, and acute and chronic stressors throughout life.

Individuals with mood disorders suffer significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, educational or other important areas of functioning. It’s normal to feel sad on occasion— just as it’s normal to feel euphoric or on top of the world sometimes. The differences between these normal mood swings and a mood disorder are: length, intensity, interference with life.

The onset of mood disorders usually occurs during adolescence. Mood disorders have a major economic impact through associated health care costs as well as lost work productivity.
Mood disorders