About this screening · Bipolar Disorder · MDQ
I feel like I’m on an emotional rollercoaster — sometimes unstoppable and full of energy, other times drained and hopeless.
Most people’s mood moves with what happens to them. Bipolar-type mood swings are larger: periods of unusually high energy, little need for sleep, racing thoughts or risky decisions, followed by periods of feeling drained and hopeless.
This screening uses the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ). It asks whether you have ever had a period like that, whether several of those things happened at the same time, and how much of a problem it caused.
Start the screeningAnonymous. No name, no sign-up. A few minutes.
About the MDQ
The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) screens for indicators associated with bipolar spectrum disorders in adults. It consists of 15 self-report items covering lifetime experiences of manic and hypomanic symptoms, aligned with DSM-based concepts.
The items cover elevated or irritable mood, increased energy and activity, reduced need for sleep, racing thoughts, distractibility, impulsivity and risk-taking. It also asks whether those symptoms tended to occur together and whether they caused difficulty.
How it is scored
- In the symptom block, each "Yes" scores 1. The total is the sum of the 13 symptom items, to a maximum of 13.
- A positive screen requires a symptom total of 7 or more, together with symptoms occurring in the same period, and a rating of "moderate problem" or "serious problem" for the difficulty they caused.
- If those conditions are not all met the screen is negative, and the total is still reported out of 13.
Source. Informed by the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), a validated framework used as the reference for assessing bipolar-related symptoms.
What the result means
A screening result is not a diagnosis. It tells you whether your answers resemble a pattern that is worth discussing with a professional.
Two people with the same score can be in very different situations, and only a qualified clinician can assess yours.
Where to get help
The Health and Counseling Center at Hamad Bin Khalifa University offers confidential counseling to the HBKU community. You do not need a screening result to get in touch.