Mood Disorders

Genetic predictors of postpartum depression uncovered

Johns Hopkins researchers say they have discovered specific chemical alterations in two genes that, when present during pregnancy, reliably predict whether a woman will develop postpartum depression.

Psychology & Psychiatry created 7 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Rethinking treatment goals improves results for 'untreatable' anorexics

(Medical Xpress)—Patients with the most severe and dangerous form of chronic anorexia are more likely to make a significant improvement towards recovery and stay in therapy if traditional psychological treatments are re-focused ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created May 20, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

NC coal plant emissions might play role in state suicide numbers

New research from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center finds that suicide, while strongly associated with psychiatric conditions, also correlates with environmental pollution.

Psychology & Psychiatry created May 13, 2013 | popularity 3 / 5 (2) | comments 1

Rethinking treatment goals improves results for those with persistent anorexia

A new, multinational randomized clinical trial has found that patients with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa will not only stick with treatments but also make significant improvements with just a slight modification of ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created May 08, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Study reviews readmissions in inpatient psychiatric facilities

(HealthDay)—Most Medicare beneficiaries treated in inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPFs) exhibit characteristics associated with hospital readmission, according to a report prepared for the National Association ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created May 17, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


Mood disorder is the term designating a group of diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV TR) classification system where a disturbance in the person's mood is hypothesized to be the main underlying feature. The classification is known as mood (affective) disorders in ICD 10.

English psychiatrist Henry Maudsley proposed an overarching category of affective disorder. The term was then replaced by mood disorder, as the latter term refers to the underlying or longitudinal emotional state, whereas the former refers to the external expression observed by others.

Two groups of mood disorders are broadly recognized; the division is based on whether the person has ever had a manic or hypomanic episode. Thus, there are depressive disorders, of which the best-known and most researched is major depressive disorder (MDD) commonly called clinical depression or major depression, and bipolar disorder (BD), formerly known as manic depression and characterized by intermittent episodes of mania or hypomania, usually interlaced with depressive episodes.

This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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