medtests.de · Bipolar symptoms
Bipolar Test
This self-test uses the MDQ, the Mood Disorder Questionnaire: 13 yes/no questions about periods of unusually elevated or irritable mood at any point in your life, plus the two follow-up questions from the original that decide whether the screen counts as positive.
Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ)
The first 13 questions all begin: "Has there ever been a period of time when you were not your usual self and ..." These are followed by two short follow-up questions. Please answer everything with Yes or No, considering your entire life so far, not just the last few days.
What does the MDQ measure?
The MDQ asks about experiences from (hypo)manic episodes: feeling unusually high or wired, needing much less sleep, racing thoughts, pressured talking, more energy and activity, increased sociability and libido, risky behavior, and spending sprees. Following the original, a positive screen requires all three conditions: at least 7 yes answers, several symptoms occurring during the same period, and at least moderate problems as a result. This test asks all of it and applies the full rule.
What does the result mean?
A positive screen means a bipolar-spectrum condition is worth ruling in or out with a professional, especially if you've also had depressive episodes, since bipolar depression is often mistaken for unipolar depression and treated suboptimally. Elevated phases can feel productive rather than problematic from the inside, which is exactly why the impairment question matters. Please don't start, stop, or change any medication based on a screening result; take it to a psychiatrist or your doctor instead.
Source
Hirschfeld RMA, Williams JBW, Spitzer RL, et al. Development and Validation of a Screening Instrument for Bipolar Spectrum Disorder: The Mood Disorder Questionnaire. American Journal of Psychiatry, 2000.