The DSM specifies mood disorders under the following main headings:

• Major Depressive Disorder (sometimes called clinical depression)
• Cyclothymia (Cyclothymic Disorder)
• Dysthymia (Dysthymic Disorder)
• Bipolar Disorder (sometimes called manic depression)

It also includes classifications for mood disorders which result directly from a general medical condition or from exposure to chemicals or medications, and a catch-all category for disorders which do not fit the other categories.

Clinical diagnoses of mood disorders refer to the presence or absence of so-called 'mood episodes', including:

• Major Depressive Episode
• Manic Episode
• Mixed Episode
• Hypomanic Episode

These 'episodes' are not diagnosed separately, but rather serve as the components for diagnosis of the actual disorders.