Mood Disorders in ICD-11 and DSM-5

Summary This paper briefly reviews how the ICD-11 and DSM-5 are going to handle the various continua existing in the area of mood disorders. The two systems will address the continua between “normal” elation and hypomania, between unipolar depression and bipolar disorder, and between anxiety disorders and depression in a more consistent way than in the past, while there will be differences in the characterization of mixed states and schizoaffective disorders. A major weakness of both systems will be the fact that the boundary between “normal” sadness and depression will not be based on a solid empirical evidence.