1. Has there even been a period of time when you were not your usual self
and…
Yes
No
...you felt so good or so hyper that other people thought you were not your
normal self or you were so hyper that you got into trouble?
...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 your 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 in trouble?
2. If you checked YES to more than one of the above, have several of these ever
happened during the same period of time? Please check 1 response only.
3. How much of a problem did any of these cause you —like being able to work; having
family, money, or legal troubles; getting into arguments or fights?
Please check 1 response only.
No problem Minor problem Moderate problem Serious problem
4. Have any of your blood relatives (ie, children, siblings, parents, grandparents,
aunts, uncles) had manic-depressive illness or bipolar disorder?
5. Has a health professional ever told you that you have manic-depressive
illness or bipolar disorder?
This questionnaire should be used as a starting point. It is not a substitute for a full medical evaluation. Bipolar
disorder is a complex illness, and an accurate, thorough diagnosi s can only be made through a personal
evaluation by your doctor.
Adapted from Hirschfeld R, Williams J, 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.
Name:______________________________________ Date:______________
Instructions: Check the answer that best applies to you. Please answer each
question as best you can.
Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ)
