What does a positive MDQ result mean?

Scoring seven or more on the 13-item symptom section meets the MDQ's validated screening threshold, which is a signal that a clinical conversation is worthwhile. It does not mean you have bipolar disorder — many people who score positively do not have the condition. A full positive screen also requires that symptoms co-occurred in the same period and caused significant problems, which only a clinician can properly assess alongside your wider history.

How accurate is the MDQ?

In the original 2000 validation study (Hirschfeld et al., American Journal of Psychiatry), the MDQ showed approximately 73% sensitivity and 90% specificity for bipolar I disorder in specialist outpatient settings. This means it correctly identified roughly seven in ten people with the condition, and correctly ruled it out in nine in ten people who did not have it. Sensitivity is lower for bipolar II (around 58%) and in general-population settings. Like all screening tools, the MDQ is a starting point, not a definitive test.

Can the MDQ diagnose bipolar disorder?

No. The MDQ is a screening questionnaire — it identifies people who may benefit from a fuller clinical evaluation, but it cannot provide a diagnosis. Bipolar disorder is diagnosed by a qualified clinician (usually a psychiatrist or specialist) after a thorough assessment that includes your full history, a structured clinical interview, and consideration of other possible causes of your symptoms.

What if I score below seven but still feel something is wrong?

A below-threshold MDQ result does not rule out bipolar disorder or other mood conditions — the tool has imperfect sensitivity, and symptoms can vary over a lifetime. If you are concerned about your mood, energy, or behaviour, it is always appropriate to discuss those concerns with your GP. Your subjective experience matters and deserves professional attention regardless of a screening score.

What conditions can look similar to bipolar disorder?

Several conditions can produce periods of elevated mood, increased energy, or impulsive behaviour that resemble hypomania or mania: ADHD, borderline personality disorder, major depressive disorder with mixed features, thyroid disorders, substance use, certain medications (including antidepressants), and severe sleep deprivation. A careful clinical assessment will explore these possibilities before any diagnosis of bipolar disorder is made.

Esprit

Test de bipolarité — Questionnaire des troubles de l'humeur (MDQ)

Un dépistage gratuit basé sur le Mood Disorder Questionnaire largement utilisé. Recherche les périodes d'humeur et d'énergie élevées qui, avec d'autres symptômes, peuvent évoquer un trouble du spectre bipolaire.

~3 minDurée

MDQ (Mood Disorder Questionnaire)Méthode

GratuitCoût

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Avant de commencer

Comment ça marche

1Answer 13 yes/no questions — For each item, select Yes if you have ever experienced that symptom during a period when you were not your usual self, or No if you have not.
2See your symptom count — We tally your Yes answers and compare the total to the MDQ's validated seven-of-thirteen threshold.
3Read your result and guidance — Each band comes with a plain-language explanation and concrete next steps, including when and how to seek clinical advice.

1Think about your whole lifetime — The MDQ asks about any period in your life when these symptoms occurred, not just recently. Cast your mind back over all the years you can remember.
2Focus on times you were not your usual self — Each question begins with this phrase for a reason — the symptoms should represent a clear change from how you normally are, not just everyday variation in mood or energy.
3Answer honestly, not ideally — There is no correct answer. Select Yes only if you genuinely experienced that symptom during such a period, even if it felt positive or exciting at the time.
4Do it somewhere quiet — A few undistracted minutes helps you consider each question carefully. Rushing through can lead to less accurate answers.

13 questions

3′

MDQ (Mood Disorder Questionnaire)

Ce que ça mesure

This self-check uses the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), developed by Hirschfeld and colleagues and published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 2000. The MDQ is a brief, validated instrument designed to screen for a lifetime history of symptoms consistent with bipolar spectrum disorder — including bipolar I, bipolar II, and related conditions. It asks about thirteen manic and hypomanic symptoms: unusually elevated or irritable mood, inflated confidence, reduced need for sleep, increased talkativeness, racing thoughts, distractibility, surges of energy and activity, heightened sociability, increased sexual interest, and impulsive or risky behaviour. A score of seven or more is the validated threshold for a positive symptom screen.

Comment ça marche

You answer thirteen yes/no questions asking whether you have ever experienced specific symptoms during a period when you were not your usual self. We count the number of Yes answers. A total of seven or more is the clinically validated cut-off for a positive MDQ symptom screen. The questionnaire takes around two to three minutes. Note that the full clinical MDQ also asks whether several symptoms occurred simultaneously and whether they caused significant problems — these two follow-up questions are explained in the results but are not scored here, because our engine captures the symptom count that drives the validated threshold.

Conseils pour un résultat fiable

1Symptoms that felt positive still count — During a manic or hypomanic episode, people often feel wonderful — unusually creative, confident, or energetic. These experiences still count as symptoms if they represented a clear change from your normal self and if others noticed or if they led to consequences.
2Think about consequences, not just feelings — If a period of high energy led to impulsive decisions, relationship difficulties, financial problems, or trouble at work, that context is important and worth mentioning to a clinician even if the episode itself felt enjoyable.
3A positive screen is a starting point, not a verdict — Many conditions other than bipolar disorder can produce episodes of elevated mood or energy, including antidepressant side effects, thyroid disorders, sleep deprivation, and other mental-health conditions. Only a thorough clinical assessment can untangle these.
4Bring specifics to any appointment — If you do seek a clinical opinion, try to recall roughly when episodes occurred, how long they lasted, what you were doing at the time, and whether anyone close to you noticed the change. Concrete details are far more helpful than a score alone.
5Track mood over time — Mood diaries and apps can help you — and any clinician you see — spot patterns in your energy, sleep, and behaviour across weeks and months. This can be especially useful if episodes are infrequent.

Fiabilité et limites

The MDQ is a validated screening tool, not a diagnostic instrument. Only a qualified clinician can diagnose bipolar disorder following a comprehensive assessment that includes your personal and family history, a clinical interview, and consideration of alternative explanations. Our implementation scores only the 13-item symptom section and applies the validated ≥7-of-13 threshold. The original full MDQ screen is positive only when all three of the following are met: (1) seven or more of the thirteen symptoms are endorsed, (2) several symptoms occurred during the same period, and (3) those symptoms caused moderate or serious problems. Our engine captures criterion 1 (the validated symptom count) and honestly presents criteria 2 and 3 as important clinical context. In the original 2000 validation study by Hirschfeld and colleagues, conducted in specialty bipolar outpatient settings, the MDQ demonstrated approximately 73% sensitivity and 90% specificity for bipolar I disorder. Performance for bipolar II is lower (approximately 58% sensitivity). In primary-care and general-population settings, specificity tends to remain high but sensitivity is lower, meaning some people with the condition will not screen positive. Importantly, many people who do screen positive will not have bipolar disorder — a positive result warrants clinical evaluation, not self-diagnosis. As a self-report measure, results can also be affected by current mood, insight, and how you interpret each question.

Références et lectures complémentaires

L'Institute of Doctors propose des outils de dépistage éducatifs et des conseils par IA. Ils ne constituent pas un diagnostic médical et ne remplacent jamais un professionnel de santé qualifié. En cas de problème de santé, consultez un médecin.

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