Mood Disorders

If you or your child are experiencing symptoms of a mood disorder, a healthcare provider may perform a physical examination to rule out physiological causes for symptoms, such as thyroid disease, other illnesses or a vitamin deficiency.

Your provider will ask about your medical history, any medications you’re taking and whether you or any family members have been diagnosed with a mood disorder. They may refer you to a mental health professional.

A mental health professional, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, will conduct an interview or survey, asking questions about your symptoms, sleeping and eating habits and other behaviors. They use criteria in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders to make diagnoses of mood disorders.

In general, a mood disorder is diagnosed when sadness, elation, anger or other emotion is:

• Overly intense and persistent.
• Accompanied by other mood disorder symptoms, such as sleep changes or activity level changes.
• Significantly impairs the person’s capacity to function.