Mood Disorders Questionnaire
The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) was developed by a team of psychiatrists to help screen for possible symptoms of bipolar disorder. It was designed to help physicians screen for bipolar disorder - it is not considered a diagnostic tool.
This questionnaire can be used during an office visit as part of a complete evaluation, or as a self-screening tool that patients complete prior to a visit.
Section 1
Has there ever been a period of time when:
| Yes | No | |
| you were not your usual self (while not on drugs or alcohol)? | ||
| you were so irritable that you shouted at people or started fights or arguments? | ||
| you felt much more self-confident than usual? | ||
| you got much less sleep than usual and found you didn't really miss it? | ||
| you were much more talkative or spoke faster than usual? | ||
| thoughts raced through your head or you couldn't slow you mind down? | ||
| you were so easily distracted by things around you that you had trouble concentrating or staying on track? | ||
| you had much more energy than usual? | ||
| you were much more active or did many more things than usual? | ||
| you were much more social or outgoing than usual; for example, you telephoned friends in the middle of the night? | ||
| you were much more interested in sex than usual? | ||
| you did things that were unusual for you or that other people might have thought were excessive, foolish, or risky? | ||
| spending money got you or your family into trouble? | ||
Section 2
If you checked YES to more than one of the above, have several of these ever happened during the same period of time?
Yes ~ No
Section 3
How much of a problem did any of these cause you -- like being unable to work, having family, money, or legal troubles; getting into arguments or fights?
No Problem ~ Minor Problem ~ Moderate Problem ~ Serious Problem
How to Score the Mood Disorders Questionnaire
The following scores are the most indicative of having bipolar disorder, though be careful: a positive test does not mean you have bipolar disorder. The authors of this test found these scores include the most individuals who do have bipolar disorder, and "rule out" the most individuals who don't have it.
Section 1: 7 "yes" responses
Section 2: Yes
Section 3: Must have caused some problems in your life
Please be careful and understand: the test you took is not magic. Even using "7 yes's" as the cut-off, one person in 10 will be missed - with the test showing they "didn't have bipolar disorder". Similarly, getting 7 yes answers doesn't prove you have bipolar disorder, because there can be "false positives" too, with this or any such test.
But this is a good starting point to share with your doctor.
APA Reference
Tracy, N.
(2022, January 3). Mood Disorders Questionnaire, HealthyPlace. Retrieved
on 2025, July 11 from https://www.healthyplace.com/depression/bipolar/mood-disorders-questionnaire
