Mood changes treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions

Maple is a virtual care platform that connects you with doctors and other healthcare providers via text, audio, or video. After you log in to your Maple account, you can request an online consultation.

Consultations work similarly to in-person appointments — the doctor can complete an assessment by asking questions about your symptoms, going through your health history, and determining what treatment is right for you. If they think your condition is more serious, they may tell you to go to a clinic for an in-person examination.

As a Maple member, you get 24/7 access to virtual primary care online and more. You can connect with our network of providers via text, audio, or video call within minutes.

Our membership costs $79.99/month and covers virtual care for patients and their families, including the primary account holder's spouse and any dependents.

For patients in eligible provinces, our membership includes:

• Access to daily primary care provider visits: One daily visit with a primary care provider for each family member in their household.
• Paediatric care: Covered paediatric primary care visits, available by appointment.
• Second medical opinions: access to a network of experts for a second opinion if diagnosed with a complex condition (e.g. cancer).
• Personal Health Check-Ins: A series of personalized, evidence-based proactive care screenings to maintain and improve health.
• iCBT courses: Access to iCBT (internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy) self-assessment and courses.
• Access to specialists in eligible provinces: Easy access to specialists on Maple within days, not months. No referral is needed.
• Specialist referrals in eligible provinces: Ability to be referred to a physician specialist for in-person care, if needed.
• Credit discounts: An $80 credit per month to be applied to a Maple specialist visit.

Please note that our membership cannot be combined with other offerings, such as private insurance coverage and provincial programs, where available. In some cases, membership fees can be covered by a Healthcare Spending Account (HSA) — check with your HSA provider for more details.

We accept all major credit cards, including AMEX cards, as well as Google and Apple Pay.

At Maple, we proudly prioritize privacy as a cornerstone of our virtual care services. We strictly adhere to privacy and healthcare legislation in Canada, such as PIPEDA and PHIPA regulations, to ensure patients' personal and health information remains completely private and safeguarded.

Our policies and consent processes are designed to be simple and easily understood, empowering individuals with control and a clear understanding of their healthcare journey. When using our services, a patient’s session is protected by a comprehensive security infrastructure and stringent data policies.

Patients also retain full control of their personal health information, medical records and test results at all times. Our approach is reinforced by consultations with leading experts, guaranteeing comprehensive policy frameworks that are reviewed at a regular cadence.

All providers delivering healthcare through Maple are licensed in Canada and governed by their licensing regulatory colleges, and in all instances, must act in accordance with the governing principles set out in the telemedicine policies of each medical regulator in the applicable province.

Regulators across Canada support and recognize the value of services like ours, and the way in which they can benefit patients, physicians, and Canada’s broader healthcare system by improving access to care and increasing efficiencies in the delivery of care.

Yes, you can. A healthcare provider on Maple will want to discuss your current conditions, and what types of symptoms or signs of mood changes you’ve been experiencing.

They may also refer you to a psychotherapist to perform a psychological evaluation. In some cases, mood changes could be caused by mental health conditions. Therefore, you may need to speak with a psychotherapist in order to get a clear diagnosis for your mood changes.

Once your healthcare professional provides a diagnosis for mood changes, they’ll be able to suggest treatments for your mood changes suited to your needs.

Most people will go through some form of mood changes in their lives. However, if your behavior becomes erratic or unpredictable for days at a time, it could be caused by mood changes.

Mood changes can be the result of physical injuries or illnesses, as well as mental health conditions. Mood changes can also be caused by hormone imbalances brought on by certain physical developmental changes, like puberty, pregnancy, or menopause.

In many cases, mood changes are signs of other conditions. However, these associated mood change symptoms can appear in many ways, including:

• Changes in appetite or weight
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Difficulty concentrating
• Irritability or aggression
• Unexplained hostility
• Acute bouts of sadness or lethargy
• Mood that fluctuates acutely (changing from moment to moment)
• Sudden, strong feelings of anxiousness or worry

The person being affected by mood changing symptoms may not immediately realize that their mood has changed. In these cases, loved ones may need to make them aware of their shifts in mood.

There are a variety of mental health conditions that can cause mood changing symptoms, including:

• Depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Bipolar disorder
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Cyclothymic disorder
• Dysthymia
• Personality disorders
• Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Schizophrenia
• Dementia
• Intermittent explosive disorder
• Memory-related disorders
• Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD)

Diagnosis for mood changes can be challenging because so many internal and external factors can affect our moods.

The healthcare provider will want to start with a physical exam to check for any possible physical conditions that could be causing your mood changes. They could suggest additional testing, including some basic blood tests to check your blood cell counts, as well as your thyroid function.

In many cases, they’ll also refer you to a psychotherapist to have a psychological evaluation performed.

Once your healthcare provider can provide you with a diagnosis for your mood changes, they will suggest mood change treatments that target the underlying cause. This includes any prescriptions for your mood changes that you may require.

Because mood changes are not a diagnosis in itself, but often caused by underlying conditions, the healthcare provider will suggest treatments for your mood changes that directly target the cause.

This could involve treatments for mood changes like psychotherapy, as well as targeted medications to control mood changes.

Everyone has mood changes from time to time. However, if you’re finding it difficult to control your mood changes, or your mood change symptoms are persistent, you should talk to a healthcare professional.

A healthcare provider can arrange for necessary testing to provide a diagnosis for your mood changes, including referring you to a psychotherapist.

Once you know why you’re experiencing mood changes, the healthcare provider can suggest appropriate treatments for your mood changes. This includes any necessary medications to control mood changes, or suggested lifestyle changes that may help reduce your symptoms.

In some cases, the best course of action for managing mood changes is ongoing psychotherapy and monitoring your condition closely. A healthcare professional from Maple can help you create an effective plan to help you get your mood changes under control.