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MDQ (Mood Disorder Questionnaire)

Every patient suspected of having unipolar depression should be evaluated for bipolar disorder (BD) using a quick screening tool before a prescription for an antidepressant is written.
BD shares some symptoms with, and is often misdiagnosed as, unipolar depression, but BD needs to be managed differently. Prescribing an antidepressant unopposed (without concurrent mood-stabilizer therapy) to patients with BD increases the cycling or frequency of their disabling mood swings.
Developed by Dr Robert M. Hirschfeld and colleagues in 2000, the MDQ consists of 15 "yes/no" questions that the clinician can ask or the patient can complete themselves. It takes only 5 to 10 minutes to administer and score, has been validated widely, and has been translated into several languages.
Download MDQ Form (PDF)
Download MDQ Instructions (PDF)
More about Bipolar Disorder and the Mood Disorder Questionnaire
Jay M. Pomerantz, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School, Boston

A large number of psychiatric tests, scales, and forms have been created over the years to help in diagnosing mental illness and assisting in treatment and follow-up. This Web-based service offers copies of some of the most popular and useful instruments. The hope is that healthcare professionals—whether in specialty practices, primary-care settings, or emergency services—will find this format convenient and useful, allowing them to find the right instrument quickly, print it out for immediate use with patients, and add the findings to their records. Since most of the tools are designed for repeated use over time, they will provide not only a longitudinal view but also document the medical record.

In addition to the forms themselves, you will find instructions on how to administer and score the scales as well as related articles and links to other useful guidance. When appropriate, we will supply video resources for additional insights.

These scales have demonstrated high levels of accuracy and validity and the results can give important clues to possible mental disorders that warrant follow up. However, please remember that they depend on the skills of the clinicians administering them and the accuracy of the information provided by the patients.