Affective spectrum

The affective spectrum is a spectrum of 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 disorders are linked to higher rates of cardiovascular disease.^[2]