Mood vs Affect

Mood and affect refer to different aspects of emotion. 

Mood can be described as a general and pervasive emotional tone that colors an individual's thoughts, feelings, and overall outlook on life. It can range from positive to negative and can encompass a wide spectrum of emotions, such as happiness, sadness, anger, fear, and calmness.

Mood is different from emotions, which are typically shorter-lived and specific reactions to particular events or stimuli. While emotions are more temporary and situational, mood tends to be more enduring and can persist for hours, days, or even longer.

Moods convey sustained emotions; their more enduring nature means that they are experienced long enough to be felt inwardly. Moods are also manifested in subtle ways, and their accurate assessment often requires empathic understanding by the interviewer. The words that persons use to describe their inner emotions may vary from one culture to another. 

Affect is communicated through facial expression, vocal inflection, gestures, and posture and is intended to move human beings and other primates to appraise whether an individual is satisfied, distressed, disgusted, or in danger. Thus, joy, sadness, anger, and fear are affects that serve a communicative function. Affects tend to be short-lived expressions reflecting momentary emotional contingencies.

When Mood and Affect Discordant

The inward emotion and the prevailing affective tone may be discordant. This conflict could be due to deliberate simulation (i.e., the person does not wish to reveal his or her inner emotion), or it could result from a pathological lesion or process that has altered emotions and their neural substrates.

What are Mood Disorders?

Mood disorders are group of psychiatric disorders in which disturbances of mood or affect are severe and persistent enough to cause significant problems in an individual's life. 

Moods themselves are not pathological and many of us have experienced a range of mood states. When moods become severe and persistent enough to cause dysfunction in an individual's life, we use the term "mood disorder." 

Symptoms of mood disorders usually occur in discrete periods we call episodes. 

Episodes can last for weeks, months, or even years. 

During these "episodes," there is a significant change in the individual's mood which may negatively impact work performance, relationships, or other important areas of functioning. 

The most common mood disorder is major depressive disorder (MDD), often referred to as "Unipolar depression." Bipolar disorders are also mood disorders that differ from unipolar depression by the presence of elevated mood states called hypomania or mania.

A Brief Summary of Mood Disorders

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Also known as clinical depression, MDD is characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a loss of interest or pleasure in activities. Other symptoms may include changes in appetite and sleep patterns, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, and thoughts of death or suicide.

Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)

Dysthymia is a chronic form of depression where individuals experience persistent depressive symptoms for at least two years. While the symptoms may be less severe than in MDD, they last longer and can lead to significant impairment in daily functioning.

Bipolar Disorders

Bipolar disorder involves recurring episodes of extreme mood swings, ranging from depressive lows to manic or hypomanic highs. During depressive episodes, symptoms are similar to those of major depression. Manic or hypomanic episodes are characterized by elevated mood, increased energy, impulsivity, and a decreased need for sleep.

Cyclothymic Disorder

Cyclothymic disorder is a chronic mood disorder characterized by numerous periods of depressive symptoms and hypomanic symptoms that do not meet the criteria for a major depressive episode or a manic episode. These mood fluctuations can last for at least two years in adults and one year in adolescents.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

SAD is a type of depression that typically occurs during specific seasons, most commonly in fall and winter. It is believed to be related to reduced exposure to sunlight and disrupted circadian rhythms. Symptoms include low mood, fatigue, increased sleep, weight gain, and decreased interest in activities.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

PMDD is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) that affects some women before their menstrual period. It is characterized by intense mood swings, irritability, depression, anxiety, and physical symptoms such as bloating and breast tenderness.

Other Specified and Unspecified Depressive Disorders

These categories include depressive disorders that do not meet the specific criteria for the above disorders but still cause distress and impairment. Examples include brief depressive disorder, recurrent brief depression, and other forms of subthreshold depression.