What does mood disorder nos mean

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Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Some other examples of "not otherwise specified" mental disorders include:. Today you won't find a "NOS" diagnosis for depressive disorder or any other mental disorder in the DSM now on its fifth edition. This isn't because there are fewer people with the symptoms but because it's considered an outdated diagnostic category.

The DSM is what clinicians and psychiatrists use to assess and diagnose psychiatric disorders. It is also used for billing as many health insurance providers require a specific diagnosis for approval of payment for treatment. There have been several versions of the DSM manual since it was first published in DSM-1 , including the most recent DSM-5 note that the use of Roman numerals was dropped from the title of the manual , which was published in May of and contains some significant changes from previous editions.

Changes included the elimination of the catch-all "not otherwise specified" and NOS subcategory. The authors have replaced it with "other specified" and "unspecified" to indicate clusters of symptoms that do not neatly fit into another existing category. Why two terms to replace one? The difference is based on whether the diagnosing doctor chooses to indicate why the diagnostic criteria were not met.

Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Bipolar disorder not otherwise specified NOS is one of those psychiatric terms that can cause more confusion than clarity, especially to the person being diagnosed.

Bipolar disorder NOS is usually diagnosed when a patient shows some symptoms of bipolar disorder but doesn't necessarily meet all the criteria as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , 5th Edition DSM Like schizoaffective disorder , a condition that falls somewhere in between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, bipolar disorder NOS may suggest you are at risk of eventually developing bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder NOS is more of a catch-all category than an actual type of bipolar disorder. Your doctor may use the classification to document symptoms which are consistent with bipolar disorder but fall short of the criteria needed to make a definitive diagnosis. In general, NOS is most commonly ascribed when a mood disorder is characterized by depression alternating with short episodes of hypomania a milder form of mania. Oftentimes, the mood swings are rapid, occurring within days of each other.

By and large, children and adolescents are most frequently diagnosed with NOS as they will be least likely to have a previous history of mood dysfunction. From a psychiatric standpoint, bipolar disorder NOS is taken just as seriously as any other form of mood disorder. It presumes that there is a problem and that it will be likely more definitively diagnosed in the future.

By assigning the NOS diagnosis now, the person will be less likely to slip through the cracks should another mood episode occur. Still, there remains contention in the psychiatric community as to whether bipolar disorder NOS is a valid diagnosis or if it may lead to the premature treatment or overtreatment of an otherwise presumptive illness.

Your mood disorder is unlikely to simply go away on its own, and it may get worse over time. Seek professional help before your mood disorder becomes severe — it may be easier to treat early on. Mood disorders care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version.

This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview If you have a mood disorder, your general emotional state or mood is distorted or inconsistent with your circumstances and interferes with your ability to function. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter.