Why would you need a Bipolar 2 Test? However, before we go ahead and actually take any kind of bipolar disorder test, it is important to make something very clear – the two tests provided here are BIPOLAR SCREENING TESTS – NOT DIAGNOSTIC TESTS!A screening test identifies possible symptoms and alerts you to the need for a follow-up in order to get a clearer, more definitive picture. Formal diagnosis depends on the results of this detailed follow-up. Bipolar self-tests are only for screening and you need to have a more extensive face-to-face consultation with an expert in order to be formally diagnosed. ReminderThe tests provided here are for screening only.
A positive screen does not mean you have bipolar disorder – just that you should follow-up with a qualified mental health professional!As long as you understand that limitation, a widely used Bipolar 2 Test is the from the Depression and Bipolar Support Association (DBSA).It only takes about five minutes to complete and it can be scored immediately as well. The interesting thing about this bipolar symptoms test is that it is screening for a range of differentThis means it is useful as a specific Bipolar II Test.However, lately there has been some criticism stating that the MDQ may not be sensitive enough or accurate enough for widespread use. In 2013, researchers in Rhode Island found that the MDQ test often misdiagnosed patients as bipolar when their real diagnosis should have been Borderline Personality Disorder. This is quite a problem as the treatments for Bipolar Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder are quite different.
Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale (BSDS)Another popular bipolar test when screening for Bipolar Type 2 is the Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale, also known as the BSDS. This test was developed by Boston psychiatrist, Dr Ron Pies, and has been evaluated by Dr S. Nassir Ghaemi, Director of the Bipolar Disorder Research Program at Emory University.It is strongly endorsed by Dr Jim Phelps in his book Why am I still depressed? Recognizing and Managing the Ups and Downs of Bipolar II and Soft Bipolar Disorder, (McGraw-Hill 2006).The BSDS is a popular bipolar test amongst those, like Dr Phelps and Dr Ghaemi, who believe in the idea of a Mood Spectrum. This represents a growing trend to reject the traditional categories such as and in favor of a sliding scale approach. This is very helpful in diagnosing people who do not display all the classic bipolarsymptoms. Failure to diagnose correctly does not just mean the tragic consequences of missing out on treatment – frequently it leads to people receiving drugs that actually trigger mania and makes the disorder worse.It seems likely that the BSDS will be increasingly accepted.
In the classic textbook Manic-Depressive Illness: Bipolar Disorders and Recurrent Depression by Drs F.K. Goodwin & Kay Redfield Jamison (2nd ed, Oxford University Press, 2007), the BSDS is discussed and described as “promising”.(However, note that further validation and replication of the BSDS is still advised.)This new and increasingly popular free bipolar disorder test can be taken here:The BSDS is preferred as a specific Bipolar 2 Test as it is thought to be more effective for detecting the more subtle forms of the disorder. This test is not as good as the MDQ for a clear YES/NO answer, but again is intended to pick up milder forms across the fullAs you can see, a bipolar self-test can be completed online, based on traditional paper and pencil questionnaires.In the simplest form you are asked if you experience the bipolar symptoms described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) – the textbook psychiatrists use as a definitive source of diagnostic and treatment standards for many mood disorders and other mental health problems. The DSM has since been updated to a new edition (i.e., the DSM V), but the diagnostic criteria for Bipolar I and II have not changed significantly.This type of bipolar disorder test can tell you everything or nothing!Obviously it is crucial that you have excellent insight into your own emotions and behaviors and are able to be honest and accurate in your answers.As you can see from the two tests we have provided here, testing for Bipolar Disorder involves simple and straightforward questions – not analyzing ink blots or other complicated, abstract psychoanalytic processes. Test is not enoughHOWEVER, USE OF THE MDQ, BSDS OR ANY OTHER BIPOLAR 2 TEST ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH!PLEASE see a skilled and licensed psychiatrist, psychologist, or other mental health professional with experience in treating mood disorders to obtain a diagnosis! Some comments by Carolina Estevez, Psy.D.Psychological tests and assessments are excellent sources that can be used to support a diagnosis, clarify any diagnostic questions, or expose symptoms/concerns that the client and/or family members/loved ones are having difficulty explaining or expressing.
During a clinical interview, also known as a diagnostic evaluation, the mental health professional will ask the client dozens of questions about his/her background history, presenting problems, symptoms, family, occupational, and social history, as well as information about activities of daily living. The diagnostic evaluation is long, in-depth, and very personal, but the purpose is to get a thorough history of the client.This evaluation, along with the behavioral observations made of the client during the session, is how a clinician arrives at a diagnosis. Behavioral observations include the clinician’s observations of the client’s manner of interacting and communicating, the client’s thought process and cognitive skills, and even the client’s eye contact, memory abilities, mood, facial expressions, tone of voice, etc. As you can see, a lot goes into an evaluation before a definitive diagnosis is made. Tests and assessments serve to support a diagnostic evaluation. For example, if a client undergoes an evaluation with a clinician and is then administered a Bipolar assessment, the client’s report of symptoms in both the evaluation and the assessment should be very similar.
If the client answered, “yes” to an evaluation question, but then endorsed “no” for the same or similar question on an assessment, the clinician must then discuss this with the client and clarify the discrepancy.This is just one example of the importance of diagnostic tests and assessments, but any responsible and ethical clinician will tell you that you cannot and should not base a diagnosis simply on the results of a Bipolar assessment. The clinician should always meet with the client and conduct a clinical interview. Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder and differentiating between the two types of the disorder is often wrought with uncertainty, as there is a lot of overlap of symptoms; therefore, an experienced and competent clinician will always be thorough and conduct a full and comprehensive assessment. DisclaimerBipolar-Lives.com (“website” or “site” or ”we”) is an informational website that sells eBooks and refers users to online merchants (“Advertisers”) that market bipolar patient support services. The views, recommendations and results shared via this site or eBooks may be based on the authors’ personal experience with a bipolar life or understanding thereof.
Where applicable, this content has been reviewed by a medical expert.Your results may vary from those of the authors’.If you or someone you know are experiencing a medical or mental health crisis that requires immediate intervention, please seek out emergency services.And while we do everything we can to provide you with referenced and evidence-based information on the topics presented, nothing on this website is intended to constitute a professional advice for your specific medical/mental health diagnosis or treatment. We/website/any experts on this website do not offer specific medical advice for you. We strongly recommend you to consult with a professional such as your doctor and/or therapist for specific advice related to your situation.
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Bipolar disorder is frequently encountered in primary care settings, often in the form of poor response to treatment for depression. Although lifetime prevalence of bipolar I disorder is 1%, the prevalence of bipolar spectrum disorders (e.g., bipolar I, bipolar II, and cyclothymia) is much higher, especially among patients with depression. The consequences of misdiagnosis can be devastating. One way to improve recognition of bipolar spectrum disorders is to screen for them.
The Mood Disorder Questionnaire is a brief, self-report screening instrument that can be used to identify patients most likely to have bipolar disorder. Once identified, and subsequently appropriately diagnosed, the lives of those with bipolar disorder may be considerably improved. Primary care providers in the United States treat many patients with depression. Although 60% to 70% of patients with depression improve, about one third do not, and many do not achieve full remission. One reason for poor or incomplete response may be undiagnosed bipolar spectrum disorder. Bipolar spectrum disorders have been defined in a variety of ways but typically include bipolar I, bipolar II, cyclothymia, and bipolar disorder not otherwise specified. Signs and symptoms are diverse and include impulsive behavior, alcohol/substance abuse, fluctuations in energy level, and legal problems.
Bipolar Inventory Pdf Printable
In addition, the depressed mood typically associated with the depressive phase of these disorders is often misdiagnosed as depression. Consequently, bipolar disorder may go unrecognized for 7 to 10 years. Furthermore, many patients with bipolar disorder undergo 3 or more professional evaluations before receiving correct diagnosis and treatment. The consequences of a delayed or incorrect diagnosis can be devastating, as the medical management of bipolar disorder differs substantially from that of depression.
This article provides an overview for screening and diagnosis of bipolar disorder in the primary care setting. FINANCIAL AND SOCIAL COSTS OF BIPOLAR DISORDERAccording to 1991 data compiled by Wyatt and Henter, direct costs for inpatient and outpatient care associated with bipolar disorder are thought to total $7 billion. Indirect costs account for approximately $38 billion in expenditures.
A more recent analysis reported by Begley and colleagues in 2001 suggests lifetime cost of patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1998 will be $24 billion, with average lifetime cost per patient ranging from about $11,000 for persons with a single manic episode to over $600,000 for those with chronic or nonresponsive disease. Indeed, bipolar disorder is sixth among all health conditions in terms of causing disability across the world.
Greater recognition of bipolar disorder warning signs in the primary care environment could very likely improve treatment outcomes, which could translate to a reduction in use of expensive treatment facilities. Untreated/Misdiagnosed Bipolar DisorderResults from the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association (NDMDA) survey indicate that 73% of patients with bipolar disorder were misdiagnosed on initial presentation to a health care professional. The most frequent misdiagnosis was depression. Other misdiagnoses included anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorder, and alcohol abuse.Several doctor's office clinical studies confirm these survey findings. For example, in 1 family practice setting, over one quarter of patients presenting with depression or anxiety suffered from bipolar spectrum disorder. Similarly, in a sample of 261 outpatients with bipolar disorder, Suppes and colleagues reported an average 10-year elapse between the first symptoms of bipolar disorder and first treatment. During this period, many patients received antidepressants without concurrent mood stabilizers.
The situation is not improving. The NDMDA survey was repeated in 2000. Unfortunately, over one third of the new sample of bipolar patients waited at least 10 years for a correct diagnosis, just as in 1994.One reason for this substantial delay in diagnosis and appropriate treatment is that bipolar patients are misdiagnosed as suffering from unipolar depression. In a study of outpatients in a psychiatric clinic, over one third of patients with a history of mania or hypomania had been misdiagnosed as having unipolar depression.
The consequences of this misdiagnosis were serious—55% of those prescribed antidepressants developed a manic/hypomanic episode, and 23% developed rapid cycling.The clinical course of bipolar disorder is pernicious. In patients with bipolar disorder, rates of suicide attempts have been estimated to range from 25% to 50%; the rate of suicide completion, based on a meta-analysis of 10 studies, is 19%, although rates vary considerably among studies (12%–60%). It has been calculated that patients spend one fifth of their lives in an episode of illness. Patients who are misdiagnosed as depressed and treated with antidepressants may experience rapid cycling and/or mania. Rapid cycling (4 or more mood episodes during the previous 12 months) occurs in 5% to 20% of patients with bipolar disorder.
DIAGNOSING BIPOLAR DISORDERThe diagnosis of bipolar disorder requires a clinical evaluation, including a mental status examination and psychiatric history. The clinician must inquire about past episodes of mania, hypomania, and mood swings. Identifying high-risk patients may save the busy clinician valuable time. One method to identify high-risk patients is to screen for bipolar disorder, particularly among patients with depression.The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) is a screening instrument for bipolar disorder that can easily be utilized in primary care settings.
The MDQ has both good sensitivity and very good specificity. The MDQ can correctly identify 7 of 10 patients with bipolar disorder, while 9 of 10 patients without bipolar disorder would be correctly screened out. The MDQ includes 13 questions plus items assessing clustering of symptoms and functional impairment. The MDQ can provide primary care physicians with a quick and easy way to identify patients most likely to have bipolar disorder.If the patient screens positive on the MDQ, the physician should proceed with a full clinical evaluation for bipolar disorder. Probing based on the MDQ responses may be helpful in guiding questions. Appropriate laboratory testing includes thyroid function tests and liver function tests.
Preparation of this manuscript was supported by an educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, N.C., to ApotheCom Associates, Boston, Mass.Dr. Hirschfeld has received grant/research support from Abbott, Bristol-Myers, GlaxoSmithKline, Organon, and Wyeth-Ayerst; has been a consultant or an advisory board member for Abbott, Bristol-Myers, GlaxoSmithKline, Forest, Lilly, Pfizer, Organon, Pharmacia & Upjohn, Janssen, Wyeth-Ayerst, Sepracor, and Novartis; and has been on the speakers' bureau of Abbott, Bristol-Myers, Forest, Lilly, Organon, and Pfizer. National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association. Perceptions and impact of bipolar disorder: how far have we really come? Presented at the 4th International Conference on Bipolar Disorder.
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Bipolar Inventory Of Signs And Symptoms Scale
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