What the MDQ measures
Bipolar disorder is frequently misdiagnosed as unipolar Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) because patients usually only seek clinical help during depressive phases. Treating bipolar disorder with standard SSRI antidepressants without a mood stabilizer can induce severe, treatment-resistant mania. The MDD is designed to uncover the "hidden" manic or hypomanic episodes that the patient may not view as a problem (because mania often feels subjectively good, productive, or euphoric).
The dimensions it assesses
- Manic/Hypomanic Symptoms (Criterion 1): Elevated mood, decreased need for sleep, grandiosity, hypersexuality, rapid speech, reckless behavior.
- Concurrency (Criterion 2): Whether these symptoms occurred at the exact same time. (Mania is a syndrome, not isolated traits).
- Functional Impairment (Criterion 3): Whether the behavior caused significant trouble (financial, legal, interpersonal, or occupational).
What your score means
The MDQ is a strict threshold screener. A "Positive Screen" for Bipolar Disorder requires ALL THREE of the following criteria to be met simultaneously:
| Score | Interpretation | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Negative Screen (Fails ≥ 1 Criteria) | Bipolar disorder is unlikely. If depressive symptoms are present, standard unipolar MDD protocols (like the PHQ-9) should be followed. | |
| Positive Screen (Meets all 3 Criteria) | High Risk of Bipolar Spectrum Disorder. A full psychiatric evaluation is required. Contraindication Warning: Immediate caution must be exercised regarding the prescription of standard SSRI antidepressants. |
These ranges describe groups of people, not individuals. A score near a boundary is not meaningfully different from one just across it, and no range on this table is a diagnosis.
What to do with your result
- The "Missed" Diagnosis Protocol: If a user screens severely high on the PHQ-9 (Depression) but also screens Positive on the MDQ, the system must prioritize the MDQ result. The user must be informed that they likely have Bipolar Depression, which requires entirely different treatment modalities (Mood Stabilizers/Atypicals) than Unipolar Depression.
- Sleep Architecture: The single greatest trigger for a manic episode is sleep deprivation (Q1.4). For users with a positive MDQ, strict sleep hygiene and the avoidance of shift-work / jet-lag is the first line of behavioral defense.
Common questions about the MDQ
- What does the MDQ measure?
- Screening for Bipolar Spectrum Disorders (Bipolar I, Bipolar II, and Cyclothymia), specifically identifying past or present (hypo)manic episodes.
- Can the MDQ diagnose me?
- No. Mood Swings & Bipolar Screening (MDQ) is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnostic tool. It can flag that something may need a closer look. It cannot tell you what is causing it. Grief, burnout, a thyroid problem, medication side effects, chronic pain and months of bad sleep are not among its questions, and any of them can move a score. Telling those apart is what a professional assessment is for.
- How long does the MDQ take?
- 15 questions, which most people finish in 3 – 5 minutes. There is no time limit, and answering honestly matters more than answering quickly. The results page checks for patterns suggesting the questions were rushed.
- Is this MDQ test really free?
- Yes. No account, no email address, no payment. Psychometrics Today is funded by donations rather than advertising, which is also what allows us to publish instruments whose authors permit free but non-commercial use.
- Are my answers stored or shared?
- No. Your answers are scored inside your browser and never sent to us. There is no database of responses, because we never receive any. Closing the tab erases them, which is why results cannot be recovered afterwards.
- How often should I retake the MDQ?
- Most of these questionnaires ask about the past one to two weeks, so retaking sooner than that mostly measures the same period twice. Every two to four weeks is a reasonable rhythm if you are tracking change. A direction of travel over several weeks tells a doctor far more than any single score.
- How accurate is the MDQ?
- Screening questionnaires are good at flagging that something merits attention and poor at establishing what it is. This one is sensitive to how you feel on the day you take it, and many instruments were validated on narrow populations whose cut-offs may not transfer cleanly to everyone. The references at the foot of this page are the primary sources.
Sources
Rights held by Hirschfeld et al.. Developed and validated by the researchers cited below.
- Hirschfeld, R. M., Williams, J. B., Spitzer, R. L., Calabrese, J. R., Flynn, L., Keck Jr, P. E., ... & Russell, J. M. (2000). Development and validation of a screening instrument for bipolar spectrum disorder: the Mood Disorder Questionnaire. American Journal of Psychiatry, 157(11), 1873-1875.
Licensing
free-permitted. Permission for free reproduction is routinely granted for non-commercial screening.