Mood disorders - a disturbance in mood is the predominant feature (wow!).

• Depressive (Unipolar) Disorders -
• Major Depressive Disorder - the depressive symptoms are very severe.
• To be diagnosed with this disorder, you just have to have the symptoms for 2 weeks.
• They're going to be in a depressed mood most of the day for nearly every day
• Dysthymic Disorder- the depressive symptoms are not as severe as in MDD.
• They're going to be in a depressed mood most of the day, for more days than not
• They have to have this pattern for 2 years
• That is a LONG TIME
• Bipolar Disorders
• They swing from really low mood to really high mood. So what do Bipolar d/os & Unipolar d/os share in common? They both have low moods! Remember that: the depressive symptoms in bipolar disorders can be just as bad as the depressive symptoms in major depressive disorder.
• Bipolar I - manic symptoms
• Bipolar II - hypomanic symptoms
• Cyclothymia - the depressive symptoms aren't that severe + hypomania
• You have to have symptoms of cyclothymia for 2 years before you can be diagnosed w/ it.