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Terminology
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A number of terms are used interchangeably in describing mood disorders. This handout shall stick to ICD-10 usage, but in this section some alternative terminology is discussed so that if you come across these terms on your clinical attachment you will not be confused. It is important to note that some of these terms should not be used (particularly in exams!), when this is the case they will be highlighted.
- Affect - Subjective experience of emotional state.
- Mood - Pervasive and sustained emotion.
- Affective disorder (syn. Mood disorder) - disorder in which the central feature is mood disturbance.
- Depression - refers both to the symptom of low mood and an episode of a mood disorder.
- Mania - an episode of a mood disorder characterised by elevated mood.
- Hypomania - milder episode of mood disorder than mania, without hallucinations or delusions.
- Bipolar affective disorder - recurrent mood disorder consisting of manic/hypomanic episodes with or without depressive episodes
- Unipolar affective disorder - recurrent mood disorder consisting solely of episodes of depression.
- Major depressive episode (DSM-IV) - a depressive episode with 5 or more biological features of depression.
- Minor depressive episode (DO NOT USE THIS TERM!)- a depressive episode with less severe mood disturbance than in a major depressive episode and fewer, and less severe, features of depression. It is usually without suicidal ideation.
- Endogenous depression (DO NOT USE THIS TERM!) - a depressive syndrome characterised by prominent biological symptoms with a strong genetic loading.
- Reactive depression (DO NOT USE THIS TERM!) - a milder depressive syndrome with a presumed "psychological" origin.
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