Mood disorders are also called affective disorders. Mood disorders have a major economic impact through associated health care costs as well as lost work productivity. A mood is an emotion or feeling that lasts a long time. Moods affect how we act. Your mood also affects how you feel about yourself and life in general. Mood disorder problems may be caused by changes in your life. Chemical changes in your body can also cause a mood disorder. Moods range from feeling sad to feeling happy. Women who have a mood disorder are more likely to get depressed than men. Signs and symptoms of mood disorder start very slowly. Other people may see changes before you see or feel them. However, sometimes depression can occur due to another disorder or as a drug side effect, and in these cases it is known as secondary depression. The effects of exercise in improving the symptoms of depression are well-documented. Inadequate intake of zinc, vitamin B6, iodine, vitamin B12 and folic acid during early life may impair nervous system development and permanently alter function and behavior.
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