with regard to the DSM-III, virtually any of a mass of dysfunctions marked by an extended, permanent disruption of mood not as a result of any sort of other tangible or cognitive illness. This specific category contains the major, minor, and otherwise affective disorders, and atypical affective disorders. In the DSM- IV-TR however, affective disorders are categorized as mood disorders.
AFFECTIVE DISORDER: “Affective disorders are a part of many people’s daily lives today.”