Affective disorders are mental disorders that are characterized by a pathological change in mood. This includes a mood in the direction of depressive-inhibited or in the direction of manic-elevated. Affective disorders include depression, mania and bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness).
Below you will find further information and selected specialists for affective disorders.
Affective disorders are when a mood disorder is at the center of the problem. In other words, when the mood is either depressive-inhibited or manic-excited.
Affective disorders typically occur in phases: Before and after the depression or mania, the affected person exhibits moods in the normal range. In many cases, depressive and/or manic phases occur several times during a person's life. This is also referred to as recurring or "relapsing" disorders.
In addition to depression and mania, persistent affective disorders such as
are also affective disorders.
Depression is divided according to its severity into mild, moderate and severe depressive episodes. In the case of severe depression, a distinction can also be made between depression with and without psychotic symptoms (loss of reference to reality).
Mania is divided into hypomanic (milder) and manic (more severe) episodes. In manic episodes, mania can occur with or without psychotic symptoms.
In addition to pure depressive or manic episodes, so-called mixed affective disorders can also occur. In these, a manic and a depressive state alternate in rapid succession. This is also referred to as bipolar disorder.
Affective disorders include depressive or manic phases or a combination of both © Axel Bueckert | AdobeStock
Affective disorders can be unipolar or bipolar. In a unipolar course, only manic or depressive phases occur, whereby in the vast majority of cases only depression occurs, while repeated pure mania is very rare.
In a bipolar course, manic and depressive episodes alternate, although the alternation is not regular. Unipolar disorders are much more common than bipolar disorders.
Most affective disorders occur recurrently, i.e. in several phases. In only around 15 percent of all cases does depression only occur once.
Affective disorders are caused by various influencing factors. These can include
are among them.
It is assumed that hereditary factors cause an increased predisposition to affective disorders.
However, other factors such as stressful situations or hormonal changes then trigger the phases of the illness.
Around one to two percent of all people develop bipolar disorder in the course of their lives. Depressive episodes alternate with manic, hypomanic or mixed phases. On average, bipolar disorders begin earlier than pure depression: The average age of onset is 16 to 18 years. Women and men are affected equally often.
Bipolar disorders begin more frequently with mania than with depression. They are usually more severe than pure ("unipolar") depression, i.e. more episodes occur.
If the depressive episodes alternate with pronounced mania, this is also referred to as bipolar I disorder. If only mild hypomanic episodes occur alongside the depressive phases, the disorder is referred to as bipolar II.
As with pure depression, the episodes in bipolar disorders usually disappear completely. Nevertheless, 20 to 30 percent of those affected may be severely impaired by increased mood instability even during the illness-free phases.
The course of bipolar disorders is generally worse than that of unipolar depression. The rate of additional mental illnesses is higher, and the suicide rate is also higher at 15 to 30 percent.
Dysthymia refers to chronic (lasting at least two years) mild depressive disorders. They never reach the severity of full depression. However, additional depressive episodes often occur in the long term.
Around 6 to 10 percent of all people are affected. In the past, these forms were also referred to as neurotic depression.
Cyclothymia is characterized by alternating depressive and elevated moods over a period of at least two years without meeting the criteria for bipolar disorder. They occur in 0.5 to 1 percent of the population and progress to bipolar disorder in 15 to 30 percent of cases.
Mania is symptomatically the opposite of depression. The most important criteria for the diagnosis are
The elevated mood of manic patients manifests itself in extremely high spirits, exuberance and cheerfulness. However, they are easily irritable. This means that it can easily turn into irritability with a clearly aggressive undertone. Self-esteem is heightened in mania, and self-reflection and, in particular, insight into the illness are correspondingly severely restricted.
The vegetative symptoms are also the antithesis of depression: patients
Some manic patients therefore also engage in rapidly changing sexual contacts.
Manic patients are said to think in an unstable, fleeting and imaginative way. The content of their thoughts is constantly changing and outsiders are often unable to keep up. However, in contrast to schizophrenic symptoms, the connections between the trains of thought are still comprehensible, i.e. not disjointed.
Ideas of greatness with rapidly changing content often occur in manias: for example, patients think of themselves in rapid succession as a gifted singer and a highly sophisticated entrepreneur. These ideas can escalate into delusions of grandeur.
The increased drive manifests itself in increased activity and movement and a strong urge to speak. Many spontaneous thoughts and decisions can be implemented without criticism. This can lead to massive social problems if, for example, patients
