Mood disorders include depressive disorders (major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder), bipolar spectrum disorders (Bipolar I, II, cyclothymia), and schizoaffective disorder. Symptoms range from low mood and loss of interest to mania, hypomania, and psychosis. Evidence-based treatments include psychotherapy, medications (antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics), and targeted interventions such as light therapy, TMS, ECT, or ketamine-based approaches in selected cases. Early diagnosis and a combination of clinical care and social support improve outcomes.
What a mood disorder is
A mood disorder is a mental health condition in which a person's predominant emotional state - their mood - is persistently altered and affects day-to-day functioning. Mood disorders range from primarily depressive conditions to mood swings that include manic or hypomanic episodes.
Major types and how clinicians describe them
Depressive disorders
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) causes sustained low mood, loss of interest or pleasure, changes in sleep or appetite, poor concentration, and feelings of worthlessness. MDD can sometimes include psychotic features (delusions or hallucinations) in severe cases.
Persistent Depressive Disorder (formerly called dysthymia) describes a chronic, lower-grade depression that lasts for years rather than weeks.
Clinical manuals now use specifiers for timing or pattern. For example, depression that begins around childbirth is commonly described with a "peripartum onset" specifier, and depressive episodes that recur with a seasonal pattern are labeled as major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern (often called seasonal affective disorder or SAD).
Bipolar and related disorders
Bipolar disorders feature shifts between depressive episodes and elevated mood states. Bipolar I disorder involves manic episodes, which may include psychosis. Bipolar II disorder involves hypomania (less severe than mania) and depression. Cyclothymic disorder (cyclothymia) causes chronic, fluctuating mood disturbances that do not meet full criteria for mania or major depression.
Rapid cycling refers to four or more mood episodes in a year. Mixed features describe simultaneous symptoms of opposite poles (for example, depressive mood with racing thoughts).
Schizoaffective disorder
Schizoaffective disorder lies at the intersection of mood disorders and psychotic disorders. A person has major mood episodes alongside periods of psychosis that also occur without prominent mood symptoms.
Impact on life
Mood disorders can interfere with work, relationships, and everyday tasks. They range in severity from episodic, treatable conditions to persistent illnesses that require ongoing management. Early recognition and treatment reduce harm and improve outcomes.
Treatment options
Effective treatments include psychotherapy (for example, cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy), medications (antidepressants, mood stabilizers such as lithium, and certain antipsychotics), and targeted interventions for treatment-resistant illness. For seasonal symptoms, light therapy can help. For some people with severe or treatment-resistant depression, options include electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), or nearly two widely used pharmacologic approaches: ketamine-based treatments (including FDA-approved esketamine for certain cases) . Treatment plans should be individualized and monitored by a health professional.
Support and next steps
If mood changes impair daily life or include thoughts of harming yourself or others, seek professional help promptly. Support from family, friends, and peers complements clinical care and improves recovery.
- Confirm current FDA status and approved indications for esketamine and other ketamine-based treatments.
- Verify phrasing and classification details regarding seasonal affective disorder as a specifier in DSM-5/DSM-5-TR.