Psychiatry & Behavioral Health

Mood Disorders

A mood disorder is a condition in which your emotional state or mood is inconsistent with your circumstances, and interferes with your ability to function day-to-day. People with mood disorders can experience extreme sadness, irritability, or emptiness, or may have alternating periods of depression and excessive happiness.

Common mood disorders include:

• Bipolar disorder
• Cyclothymic disorder
• Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
• Major depressive disorder
• Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)
• Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
• Substance use or medication-induced depression

Mood disorders are most often treated with medications and psychotherapy.

Our Approach to Mood Disorders

At NewYork-Presbyterian, we offer personalized assessment and treatment of mood disorders, including depression and bipolar disorder. We have major patient care and research programs to advance the treatment of depression, with specialized expertise in treatment-resistant and late-life depression. We also aim to treat co-occurring conditions, such as anxiety disorders, trauma, and substance abuse. Our goal is to relieve your symptoms and help you to cope so you can live a more comfortable life.

Your care begins with a full assessment. We dedicate the time you need to let us know what you are feeling, and we'll ask you other questions to make an accurate diagnosis. This is the first and most crucial step in your care because it gives us the information we need to determine the best treatment for you.

Our teams include licensed clinical psychologists, board-certified psychiatrists, psychiatry nurses, social workers, substance abuse specialists, occupational, recreational, and creative arts therapists, and other professionals with expertise in the care of people with mood disorders.

Advanced Clinical Care

We offer comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care, in which we provide cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, group therapy, and medication depending on your needs. We work with you to help you manage your symptoms, cope with challenging situations, and build skills to improve your daily function and overall quality of life.

• Inpatient care. For people whose symptoms require inpatient hospitalization, we offer inpatient care at a variety of locations. We provide collaborative, evidence-based treatment that integrates primary and mental health care, using both psychotherapy and medication to stabilize symptoms.
• Outpatient clinics. Individual and group therapy, as well as medication management, are available for individuals with mood disorders on an outpatient basis, based on treatment needs and availability.
• Partial Hospitalization Program. NewYork-Presbyterian offers an Adult Partial Hospitalization Program, which provides comprehensive evaluation and intensive short-term treatment during the regular business day to adults (18 years of age and older) with acute symptoms who can be treated outside of the inpatient setting, to avert or shorten an inpatient hospitalization.
• Continuing Day Treatment Program. Our Continuing Day Treatment Program provides a comprehensive evaluation for 6 to 12 months for adults age 18 to 62 with severe psychiatric illnesses. Using a model of wellness and recovery, we provide a structured, supportive environment to stabilize your symptoms and help you pursue your personal goals.

We also have specialized expertise caring for people with depression that cannot be treated well with psychotherapy and medications (treatment-resistant depression). We offer other options that may help, such as light therapy and brain stimulation. Brain stimulation treatments — such as electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and vagus nerve stimulation — use magnetic or electrical energy to improve brain function. These approaches have helped some people with severe depression to obtain relief from their symptoms.

Next Generation Therapeutic Care through Research

NewYork-Presbyterian leads the field in identifying the neurobiological causes of mood disorders, such as depression. Nationally recognized and funded as a center of research and clinical excellence, the research laboratories at Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons are advancing our knowledge of these conditions. To find out how you can be a part of the future of depression medicine, visit our clinical trials section.

Appointments & Referrals

Our inpatient and outpatient programs are run by highly skilled psychiatrists and psychologists with sub-specialty training in areas ranging from addiction to sleep disorders. To learn more about our inpatient services or to be admitted for inpatient treatment, please call 888-694-5700. To learn more about our outpatient services or to find a psychiatrist, please call 877-NYP-WELL.

Please note, if this is an emergency, please dial 9-1-1 or visit your local emergency department. For free and confidential support from trained mental health professionals, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or NYC Well at 888-NYC-WELL (888-692-9355).

Refer A Patient

At NewYork-Presbyterian, we treat a diverse patient population. Clinicians in private practice or at other hospitals are welcome to refer their patient to NewYork-Presbyterian. Please call 888-694-5700 to arrange a referral.