Abnormal Psychology: Mood Disorders

Mood disorders are characterised by mild or extreme fluctuations in a person’s emotional state.

These fluctuations can broadly be grouped into either positive moods (happy and optimistic), or negative moods (sad and pessimistic).

The four main types of mood disorders are:

1 - Dysthymia

Dysthymia is characterised by depression which appears to occur most of the time.

The word dysthymia literally means “bad” (dys) “mood” (thymia), thus a person suffering from dysthymia will seem to be in a bad mood most of the time.

Another word for dysthymia is neurotic depression.

2 - Major Depressive Episode

Major depressive episode is frequent severe depression, usually accompanied by a loss of appetite and an inability to enjoy peaceful sleep.

People who suffer from such depression are very likely to have thoughts of suicide, and commit suicide.

Note : Both dysthymia and major depressive episode are unipolar disorders, because they only display one emotional direction (one type of emotion, a negative mood).

3 - Cyclothymia

Cyclothymia describes changes in a person’s mood. For example, one minute they may be happy and then the next they are sad.

4 - Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a more severe form of cyclothymia, where a person’s mood changes rapidly from one extreme to another.

For example, a person is feeling very happy and then they have a sudden outburst of extreme rage.

Bipolar disorder is also known as manic depressive disorder.

Note : Both cyclothymia and bipolar disorder are classified as bipolar disorders, because they involve different types of emotional directions (positive mood & negative mood).

Summary

• Mood disorders are abnormal changes in a person’s mood.

• Dysthymia occurs when a person feels down for most of the time.

• Major depressive episode describes a person who frequently suffers from depression, which is also very severe.

• Cyclothymia is mild changes in a person’s mood.

• Bipolar disorder is dramatic changes in a person’s mood.