Mood disorders

Depression and mania were among the first documented mental disorders among adults in ancient Greece.

Mania was considered by Aretaeus, a Greek physician (around 130-140), to be an aggravated state of melancholia.

In the mid-19th century, Jean-Pierre Falret, a French psychiatrist, described the cyclical nature of bipolar disorder, with depressive and manic states clearly separated by symptom-free intervals.

Hedonic tone

A genetic trait or predisposition that underlies the ability to experience pleasure, associated with the dopaminergic system. A low hedonic tone represents a diminished ability to experience pleasure and individuals who suffer from this will need to do more to feel neutral or good. Without stimulation, they revert to their dysphoric baseline state and will therefore look for ways to maximize their pleasure to elevate their mood.

Search for external stimulation

Unsafe behaviour
Substance abuse

Search for internal stimulation

Daydreams, fantasies

Architecture of sustainable happiness

We have a "baseline" ability to feel pleasure, to which is added the impact of life circumstances as well as activation (i.e., seeking internal or external stimulation). The impact of external circumstances on mood is usually temporary, and the person will return to his or her baseline state approximately 3 months after the event. However, it is important to note the importance ofactivation, which is one of the targets of treatment for depression.

Spectrum of depressive symptoms

Mood disorders

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Depressive disorder

Bipolar disorder

References

AACAP (2006). Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with bipolar disorder. Retrieved from www.aacap.org

Abela, J., & Hankin, B. (2008). Handbook of depression in children and adolescents. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Akinhanmi, MO, Biernacka, JM, Strakowski, SM, et al. Racial disparities in bipolar disorder treatment and research: a call to action. Bipolar Disord. 2018; 20: 506- 514. https://doi.org/10.1111/bdi.12638

Bharwani, A., & al. (2020). Gut Microbiome Patterns Associated With Treatment Response in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 65(4):278-280.

Ben Amor, L., L'Abbé, Y., Cousineau, D., & Morin, P. (2017). Mental disorders in children and adolescents. Montreal, QC: Éditions CHU Sainte-Justine.

CANMAT & ISBD. (2018). CANMAT and ISBD 2018 guidelines for the management of patients with bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disorders, 20(97-180).

DeRubeis, R.J., & Strunk, D.R. (2017). The Oxford Handbook of Mood Disorders. New York: Oxford University Press.

Frank, E. (2005). Treating bipolar disorder: A clinician's guide to interpersonal and social rhythm therapy. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Goldstein, S., & DeVries, M. (2017). Handbook of DSM-5 disorders in children and adolescents. Switzerland: Springer.

Miklowitz, D.J. (2008). Bipolar disorder: A family-focused treatment approach (2nd Ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Olson PM, Pacheco MR. Bipolar Disorder in School-Age Children. The Journal of School Nursing. 2005;21(3):152-157. doi:10.1177/105984050210030501

Perlmutter, D. (2015). Brain maker. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

Soutullo CA, Chang KD, Diez-Suarez A, Figueroa-Quintana A, Escamilla-Canales I, Rapado-Castro M, Ortuno F. (2005). Bipolar disorder in children and adolescents: international perspective on epidemiology and phenomenology. Bipolar Disord 2005: 7: 497-506. Blackwell Munksgaard.