Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder

The first depressive disorder we encounter in the diagnostic manual (DSM-5) is Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder. A very long name, so let's break it down to understand its meaning.

The word "Disorder" shouldn't scare us, but let's repeat it: a Mental Disorder is a significant deviation from typical mind functioning that causes noticeable distress.

"Disregulation." The word "Disregulation" is formed by the prefix "dis-" and the word "regulation," which we know. But what does the presence of the prefix "dis-" imply?

Let's take a word that starts with "dis-" and study it. For example, "muscular dystrophy," a condition you've probably heard of. The word "trophy" stands for nourishment, and adding the prefix "dis-" means improper nourishment; muscular dystrophies are conditions that lead to progressive damage of the musculoskeletal system.
Disregulation can be understood as poor regulation of something.

We know "Mood" the word. We defined mood as a state of mind characterized by a tone that can be neutral, positive (good mood), or negative (bad mood).

"Disruptive" is a common word; being disruptive means having "explosive" reactions to a given situation.

Now we're ready to define more precisely what Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder is. The diagnostic manual outlines 11 criteria; I won't go through all of them, but here's a summary. This disorder is diagnosed between 6 and 18 years with symptoms appearing before the age of 10. It involves severe and frequent outbursts of anger with persistently irritable mood. Episodes are clearly observed by parents, teachers, and/or peers. Additionally, there are no other explanations for these symptoms.

Someone might ask, "Okay, it's clear, but why is this stuff among depressive disorders?" Because many children with this disorder will develop a depressive disorder in adulthood.

Sources:
- American Psychiatric Association (2013) - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.).
- Bernhill, J. W. (2014) - DSM-5 Clinical Cases.

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