Affective neuroscience addresses the brain mechanisms underlying emotional behaviour. In psychiatry, affective neuroscience finds application not only in understanding the neurobiology of mood disorders, but also by providing a framework for understanding the neural control of interpersonal and social behaviour and processes that underlie psychopathology. By providing a coherent conceptual framework, affective neuroscience is increasingly able to provide a mechanistic explanatory understanding of current therapies and is driving the development of novel therapeutic approaches.