The Mood Disorder Questionnaire

The Mood Disorder Questionnaire Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis Print The Mood Disorder Questionnaire By Marcia Purse Marcia Purse is a mental health writer and bipolar disorder advocate who brings strong research skills and personal experiences to her writing. Learn about our editorial policy Marcia Purse Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on January 17, 2020 Tom M Johnson/Getty Images More in Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis Symptoms Treatment The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) is a screening tool to help doctors better distinguish between depression and bipolar disorder. It was developed by a team of psychiatrists, researchers and consumer advocates led by Robert M.A. Hirschfeld of the University of Texas, Medical Branch. What Does the MDQ Involve? The questionnaire is self-administered and comprised of 5 questions. It asks: if youve experienced any of 13 specific behaviors associated with bipolar disorderif the symptoms you checked in question one occurred at the same timeabout the severity of your symptomsabout your familys history of mental illnessif youve previously been diagnosed with a mental illness You can view the full questionnaire on the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance website. As per the scoring guidelines, if you answer yes to seven or more of the items in question one, and yes to questions two and three, the screening is considered positive. Is the MDQ Accurate? Early research found the MDQ to have both good sensitivity and specificity. In a 2002 publication, Dr. Hirschfeld reported that the MDQ correctly identified 7 of 10 patients with bipolar disorder, and correctly screened out 9 of 10 patients without bipolar disorder. However, a more recent research report published by Mark Zimmerman et. al. indicates that the results of this questionnaire are more limited than the initial research found. Does This Mean I Have Bipolar Disorder? You shouldnt accept a diagnosis of bipolar disorder based on a brief questionnaire. If your doctor or a therapist uses the MDQ or another similar screening tool, you should simply consider this a starting point towards an accurate diagnosis. Your physician should proceed with a full clinical evaluation for bipolar disorder.