PART 10 of 13 · 0 yes
Has there ever been a period when you weren't your usual self and you…
1…felt so high, energetic or "wired" that people close to you said you weren't yourself?
2…were so irritable that you shouted at people or started arguments?
3…felt far more self-confident than usual, almost unstoppable?
4…needed much less sleep than usual and didn't feel tired?
5…talked much more or much faster than usual?
6…had thoughts racing so fast you couldn't keep up?
7…were so easily distracted that you couldn't stay on track?
8…had much more energy than usual?
9…were far more active or took on many more things than usual?
10…were much more sociable than usual, for example calling people late at night?
11…were much more interested in sex than usual?
12…did things that were unusual for you, or that others thought were excessive or risky?
13…spent money in a way that got you or your family into trouble?
PART 2If you answered yes to more than one, did several of these happen during the same period of time?
PART 3How much of a problem did any of these cause you, for example with work, family, money or the law?
What bipolar disorder is, in short
Bipolar disorder is a mood condition with episodes of depression and episodes of unusually high or irritable mood and energy, called mania or, in a milder form, hypomania. Between episodes, many people feel well for long stretches.
This screen follows the three-part structure of the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (2000) with our own wording. It picks up Bipolar I best and misses some Bipolar II, so a negative result doesn't rule it out if you recognise the patterns below. Only a clinician can diagnose bipolar disorder.
By What's Your IQ · Reviewed 4 Oct 2026- Format
- 13 yes/no symptoms, 1 timing question, 1 impact question
- Positive screen
- 7+ yes, at the same time, causing moderate or serious problems
- How common
- About 2.4% of people across the bipolar spectrum
- Treatment
- Mood stabilisers such as lithium, plus talking therapy
FOUR PATTERNS OVER TWO YEARS
How the bipolar types differ
ManiaHypomaniaDepression
Bipolar IIEpisodes of depression plus hypomania: milder highs that last at least four days and don't cause severe problems. Depression usually dominates.
WHY IT GETS MISSEDHypomania can feel like being at your best, so people rarely mention it. It's commonly diagnosed as depression first.
2.4%of people across 11 countriesWorld Mental Health surveys put the lifetime rate of Bipolar I, Bipolar II and milder bipolar patterns together at about 2.4%.2
1949Lithium. Australian psychiatrist John Cade reported lithium's calming effect on mania. It remains one of the most effective long-term treatments.3
2000The MDQ. Hirschfeld and colleagues published the three-part questionnaire. In psychiatric outpatients it caught about 7 in 10 people with bipolar disorder and correctly cleared 9 in 10 without it.1
2011Across countries. Merikangas and colleagues found similar patterns worldwide, with most people seeing a doctor during depressive rather than high episodes.2
DelayYears to diagnosis. Studies consistently find a gap of several years between first symptoms and a correct diagnosis, often after an initial diagnosis of depression.4
- Hirschfeld, R. M. A., et al. (2000). Development and validation of a screening instrument for bipolar spectrum disorder: The Mood Disorder Questionnaire. American Journal of Psychiatry, 157(11), 1873–1875.
- Merikangas, K. R., et al. (2011). Prevalence and correlates of bipolar spectrum disorder in the World Mental Health Survey Initiative. Archives of General Psychiatry, 68(3), 241–251.
- Cade, J. F. J. (1949). Lithium salts in the treatment of psychotic excitement. Medical Journal of Australia, 2(10), 349–352.
- Dagani, J., et al. (2017). Meta-analysis of the interval between the onset and management of bipolar disorder. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 62(4), 247–258.