Which statement about mood disorders is true?

Which statement about mood disorders is true?

• A. They affect the person's mood as the primary symptom.
• B. They always involve memory loss.
• C. They are diagnosed only with physical tests.
• D. They only occur in older adults.

Answer: (A)

Mood disorders are defined by persistent changes in mood that are the central feature of the condition. The defining point is that the primary symptom is mood itself—persistent sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness in depressive episodes, or elevated, expansive, or irritable mood in mania or hypomania, often with changes in energy, sleep, and functioning. That’s why this statement is true: mood is the main dimension clinicians look at when diagnosing these disorders. Memory loss is not a core or defining part of mood disorders, though cognitive difficulties can accompany mood symptoms. Diagnosis isn’t based on a single physical test; it relies on clinical assessment—clinical interviews, symptom history, and validated screening tools—and may include ruling out medical conditions that could mimic mood symptoms. Mood disorders can occur at any age, including adolescence and adulthood, not just in older adults.

Mood disorders are defined by persistent changes in mood that are the central feature of the condition. The defining point is that the primary symptom is mood itself—persistent sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness in depressive episodes, or elevated, expansive, or irritable mood in mania or hypomania, often with changes in energy, sleep, and functioning. That’s why this statement is true: mood is the main dimension clinicians look at when diagnosing these disorders.

Memory loss is not a core or defining part of mood disorders, though cognitive difficulties can accompany mood symptoms. Diagnosis isn’t based on a single physical test; it relies on clinical assessment—clinical interviews, symptom history, and validated screening tools—and may include ruling out medical conditions that could mimic mood symptoms. Mood disorders can occur at any age, including adolescence and adulthood, not just in older adults.