What term describes a condition characterized by disturbances in mood, ranging from depression to extreme elation?

The term that best describes a condition characterized by disturbances in mood, ranging from depression to extreme elation, is mood disorders. Mood disorders encompass a variety of conditions that primarily involve significant changes in a person's emotional state. The two most well-known types of mood disorders are major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder.

Major depressive disorder is marked by persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest, while bipolar disorder includes episodes of both depression and mania, the latter being a state of abnormally elevated mood, energy, and activity levels. These mood disturbances can significantly impact a person's daily life and functioning.

While personality disorders refer to enduring patterns of behavior, cognition, and inner experience that deviate markedly from cultural expectations, and psychotic disorders involve disruptions to thought processes and perceptions such as hallucinations or delusions, they do not primarily focus on mood changes. Behavioral disorders typically relate to patterns of behavior that disrupt social or academic functioning, which again does not capture the full scope of mood disturbances. Therefore, mood disorders is the most accurate term to describe conditions with variations in mood from depression to extreme elation.