Name: ____________________________________________________________________________ Date: _______________
Screening for Bipolar Spectrum Disorders
The items below refer to how you have felt and behaved over much of your life. If you have usually been one
way, and have recently changed, your responses should reflect how you have USUALLY been. Circle one of the
numbers under each item using the following scale:
Not at Just a Somewhat Moderately Quite a Very
all little lot much
1. At times I am much more talkative or speak 0 1 2 3 4 5
much faster than usual.
2. There have been times when I was much more 0 1 2 3 4 5
active or did many more things than usual.
3. I get into moods where I feel very speeded 0 1 2 3 4 5
up or irritable.
4. There have been times when I have felt both 0 1 2 3 4 5
high (elated) and low (depressed) at the
same time.
5. At times I have been much more interested 0 1 2 3 4 5
in sex than usual.
6. My self-confidence ranges from great self- 0 1 2 3 4 5
doubt to equally great overconfidence.
7. There have been GREAT variations in the 0 1 2 3 4 5
quantity or quality of my work.
8. For no apparent reason I sometimes have 0 1 2 3 4 5
been VERY angry or hostile.
9. I have periods of mental dullness and other 0 1 2 3 4 5
periods of very creative thinking.
10. At times I am greatly interested in 0 1 2 3 4 5
being with people and at other times I just
want to be left alone with my thoughts.
11. I have had periods of great optimism 0 1 2 3 4 5
and other periods of equally great
pessimism.
12. I have had periods of tearfulness and 0 1 2 3 4 5
crying and other times when I laugh and
joke excessively.
Copyright (C) 2003 Ivan Goldberg, MD
How to interpret your score
Remember that a psychiatric diagnosis can only be made by a psychiatrist after a full psychiatric evaluation.
This questionnaire is only valid if you are 18 or older and have had a depression severe enough to have caused
distress and/or interfered with your functioning in one or more important areas of life such as home, work,
school, or interpersonal relationships.
Add up the scores you have given each of the 12 items:
Individuals with total scores of 15 or less are most likely suffering from Major (unipolar) Depression.
Those scoring between 16 and 24 may have either major depression or a disorder in the bipolar spectrum.
Those scoring 25 or more have a high probability of having a bipolar spectrum disorder.
Copyright (C) 2003 Ivan Goldberg, MD
