The affective spectrum is a spectrum of affective disorders (mood disorders).[1] It is a grouping of related psychiatric and medical disorders which may accompany bipolar, unipolar, and schizoaffective disorders at statistically higher rates than would normally be expected. These disorders are identified by a common positive response to the same types of pharmacologic treatments. They also aggregate strongly in families and may therefore share common heritable underlying physiologic anomalies.
Affective spectrum disorders include:
The following may also be present as co-morbidities for affective mood disorders
Also, there are now studies linking heart disease.[5]
Many of the terms above overlap. The American Psychiatric Association's definitions of these terms can be found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).