Overview of Mood Disorders
What are mood disorders? Mood Disorders Statistics While major
depressive disorder can develop at any age, the average age at
onset is the mid-20s.
The average age of onset for a first manic episode of bipolar
disorder is during the early 20s.
Dysthymic disorder, which often begins in childhood,
adolescence, or early adulthood, affects nearly 10.9 million
American adults each year.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) report the following:
Research indicates that depression onset is occurring earlier in
life today than in past decades.
Early-onset depression often persists, recurs, and continues
into adulthood. Depression in youth may also predict more severe
illness in adulthood.
Mood disorders is a category of mental health problems that
include all types of depression and bipolar disorder. Mood
disorders are sometimes called affective disorders.
During the 1980s, mental health professionals began to recognize
symptoms of mood disorders in children and adolescents, as well
as adults. However, children and adolescents do not necessarily
experience or exhibit the same symptoms as adults. It is more
difficult to diagnose mood disorders in children, especially
because children are not always able to express how they feel.
Today, clinicians and researchers believe that mood disorders in
children and adolescents remain one of the most under-diagnosed
mental health problems. At any age, mood disorders put
individuals at risk for other conditions that may persist long
after the initial episodes of depression are resolved.
What causes mood disorders? What causes mood disorders is not
well known. There are chemicals in the brain, called endorphins,
that are responsible for positive moods. Other chemicals in the
brain, called neurotransmitters, regulate endorphins. Most
likely, depression (and other mood disorders) is caused by a
chemical imbalance in the brain. Life events (such as unwanted
changes in life) may also contribute to a depressed mood.
Affective disorders aggregate in families and are considered to
be multifactorially inherited. Multifactorial inheritance means
that "many factors" are involved. The factors are usually both
genetic and environmental, where a combination of genes from
both parents, in addition to unknown environmental factors,
produce the trait or condition. Often one gender (either males
or females) is affected more frequently than the other in
multifactorial traits. There appears to be a different threshold
of expression, which means that one gender is more likely to
show the problem, over the other gender.
Who is affected by mood disorders? Anyone can feel sad or
depressed at times. However, mood disorders are more intense and
difficult to manage than normal feelings of sadness. Children,
adolescents, or adults who have a parent with a mood disorder
have a greater chance of also having a mood disorder. However,
life events and stress can expose or exaggerate feelings of
sadness or depression, making the feelings more difficult to
manage.
Sometimes, life's problems can trigger depression. Being fired
from a job, getting divorced, losing a loved one, death in the
family, and financial trouble, to name a few, all can be
difficult and coping with the pressure may be troublesome. These
life events and stress can bring on feelings of sadness or
depression or make a mood disorder harder to manage.
The chance for depression in females in the general population
is nearly twice as high (12 percent) as it is for males (6.6
percent). Once a person in the family has this diagnosis, the
chance for their siblings or children to have the same diagnosis
is increased. In addition, relatives of persons with depression
are also at increased risk for bipolar disorder (manic
depression).
The chance for manic depression (or bipolar disorder) in males
and females in the general population is about 1 percent. Once a
person in the family has this diagnosis, the chance for their
siblings or children to have the same diagnosis is increased. In
addition, relatives of persons with manic depression are also at
increased risk for depression.
What are the different types of mood disorders? The following
are the most common types of mood disorders:
major depression - a two-week period of a depressed or irritable
mood or a noticeable decrease in interest or pleasure in usual
activities, along with other signs of a mood disorder.
dysthymia (dysthymic disorder) - a chronic, low-grade,
depressed or irritable mood for at least one year.
manic depression (bipolar disorder) - at least one episode of a
depressed or irritable mood and at least one period of a manic
(persistently elevated) mood.
mood disorder due to a general medical condition - many medical
illnesses (including cancer, injuries, infections, and chronic
medical illnesses) can trigger symptoms of depression.
substance induced mood disorder - symptoms of depression that
are due to the effects of medication, drug abuse, exposure to
toxins, or other forms of treatment. What are the symptoms of
mood disorders? Depending upon age and the type of mood disorder
present, a person may exhibit different symptoms of depression.
The following are the most common symptoms of a mood disorder.
However, each individual may experience symptoms differently.
Symptoms may include:
persistent feelings of sadness feeling hopeless or helpless
having low self-esteem feeling inadequate excessive guilt
feelings of wanting to die loss of interest in usual activities
or activities once enjoyed difficulty with relationships sleep
disturbances (i.e., insomnia, hypersomnia) changes in appetite
or weight decreased energy difficulty concentrating a decrease
in the ability to make decisions suicidal thoughts or attempts
frequent physical complaints (i.e., headache, stomach ache,
fatigue) running away or threats of running away from home
hypersensitivity to failure or rejection irritability,
hostility, aggression In mood disorders, these feelings appear
more intense than what a person may normally feel from time to
time. It is also of concern if these feelings continue over a
period of time, or interfere with an individual's interest in
family, friends, community, or work. Any person who expresses
thoughts of suicide should be evaluated immediately.
The symptoms of mood disorders may resemble other conditions or
psychiatric problems. Always consult your physician for a
diagnosis.
How are mood disorders diagnosed? Mood disorders are a real
medical disorder. A psychiatrist or other mental health
professional usually diagnoses mood disorders following a
comprehensive psychiatric evaluation.
Treatment for mood disorders: Specific treatment for mood
disorders will be determined by your physician based on:
your age, overall health, and medical history extent of the
condition type of mood disorder your tolerance for specific
medications, procedures, or therapies expectations for the
course of the condition your opinion or preference Mood
disorders can often be effectively treated. Treatment should
always be based on a comprehensive evaluation. Treatment may
include one, or more, of the following:
antidepressant medications (especially when combined with
psychotherapy has shown to be very effective in the treatment of
depression)
psychotherapy (most often cognitive-behavioral and/or
interpersonal therapy that is focused on changing the
individual's distorted views of themselves and the environment
around them, working through difficult relationships, and
identifying stressors in the environment and how to avoid them)
family therapy
Families play a vital supportive role in any treatment process.
Prevention of mood disorders: Preventive measures to reduce the
incidence of mood disorders are not known at this time. However,
early detection and intervention can reduce the severity of
symptoms, enhance the individual's normal growth and
development, and improve the quality of life experienced by
persons with mood disorders.