Mood Disorder Questionnaire

Written By Amy Brown

Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ)

A brief self-report screener for bipolar spectrum symptoms — a starting point for further evaluation, not a diagnosis.
No name or identifying information is collected — only a date.

About this measure

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The MDQ is a brief screening tool for bipolar spectrum disorder. It walks through 13 yes/no questions about hypomanic or manic symptoms (feeling unusually "up," needing less sleep, racing thoughts, increased talkativeness, risky behavior, and similar experiences), then asks whether several of those symptoms tended to cluster together in the same period of time, and how much of a problem they caused.

It takes most people under five minutes to complete. A positive screen does not mean a diagnosis — it means further evaluation by a health professional is clearly warranted. This questionnaire is a starting point, not a substitute for a full clinical evaluation.

Part 1 — Has there ever been a period of time when you were not your usual self and…
Part 2
Part 3
For context (not scored)

Screening Result

Count of "yes" responses in Part 1, out of 13 possible symptoms.
—/ 13

Check-In History

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Adapted from Hirschfeld RM, Williams JB, Spitzer RL, et al. Development and validation of a screening instrument for bipolar spectrum disorder: the Mood Disorder Questionnaire. Am J Psychiatry. 2000;157:1873–1875. This tool is an independent adaptation built for clinical screening and tracking and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the original authors. Scores are stored only in this browser and in the link you choose to save or share — nothing is sent to a server. This questionnaire should be used as a starting point; it is not a substitute for a full medical evaluation, and an accurate diagnosis can only be made through a personal evaluation by a qualified clinician.

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Personality Inventory for DSM-5