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Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ)

Use the digital MDQ alongside cognitive tasks or other questionnaires in Creyos Health to assess bipolar disorder symptoms

 

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Benefits for Healthcare Providers

Gain a better understanding of the nuances of bipolar spectrum disorders with cognitive assessments and symptom tracking in Creyos Health.


Accessible

More Accessible Testing

Facilitate early detection, ongoing monitoring, and pair with cognitive performance testing for patients with symptoms of bipolar disorder, in the clinic or at home.

Workflow-1

Streamline Administration

Simplify assessments with a standardized tool, delivered digitally through the Creyos Health platform, with automated MDQ scoring and reports.

Track Over Time

Track Patient Health Over Time

Benchmark and continuously evaluate symptom progression with a centralized patient health record that includes longitudinal data, automatically updated within the Creyos patient record.

Bipolar Disorder Affects Almost 1 in 20 People During Their Lifetimes

Over 80% of cases are considered serious—more than any other mood disorder. Find out how Creyos can support patients with comprehensive screening and treatment.

Review our guide below for a complete list of standardized questionnaires available in Creyos.

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MDQ Statistics

Preview the Creyos MDQ Sample Report

Despite its seriousness, bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed as depression, especially on first presentation. The MDQ questionnaire offered in Creyos is a 13-question self-assessment that effectively screens for bipolar disorder, offering: 

  • A standardized and scientifically validated tool for assessing symptoms of bipolar disorder
  • More accurate data to support confident diagnosis and additional assessment
  • Deeper understanding of total patient health, including cognitive, behavioral, and mental health

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MDQ Report

How to Use the MDQ Questionnaire

Step 1: Help Patients Prepare

Patients can complete the MDQ questionnaire in person through the Creyos Health platform on an in-clinic device or at home through a provided link.

Step 2: Administer Questionnaire

In a series of 13 yes/no questions, the MDQ questionnaire assesses a patient’s history of manic or hypomanic symptoms and behaviors.

Step 3: Review Results

Creyos Health automatically provides MDQ scoring and reports. A cutoff score of 7 provides good sensitivity and specificity for independent diagnosis of bipolar spectrum disorder.

Step 4: Reassess and Track

Healthcare providers can discuss results with patients and plan for follow-up assessments to track change over time.

How to use PSS

Transform Patient Outcomes with Creyos

Misdiagnosis, inadequate support, years of waiting for treatment—these are the lesser-discussed side effects of bipolar disorder. But with comprehensive, early screening using tools like the MDQ questionnaire and the PHQ-9, patients can overcome and avoid potentially dangerous consequences of the condition.

Administering these assessments through Creyos can reduce administrative burden and help patients get the timely treatment they need. Get a comprehensive view of all our standardized questionnaires in this guide.

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Frequently asked questions

What is bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder is a spectrum of disorders characterized by cycling between two or more mood states, such as mania, hypomania, and depression.

Where did the MDQ questionnaire come from?

Developed by Robert M. A. Hirschfeld and colleagues in 2000, the MDQ questionnaire is based on the criteria for bipolar disorder identified in the fourth version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).

Who uses the MDQ questionnaire?

The MDQ is commonly used by healthcare professionals, organizations, researchers, and individuals to assess and measure symptoms of bipolar disorder.

How does MDQ scoring work?

The MDQ is a self-administered bipolar questionnaire that takes about 5 minutes to complete. It contains 13 yes/no items that assess a history of manic or hypomanic symptoms and behaviors, including two questions on symptom co-occurrence (more than one symptom at the same time) and impaired functioning (symptoms causing real-world problems). A total score is calculated based on the 13 main items.

In Creyos Health, if a patient scores 7 or higher, answers “yes” to co-occurrence of multiple symptoms during the same time period, and “moderate” or “severe” to the problems caused by symptoms, then a positive screen is indicated.

How does administration and scoring of the MDQ questionnaire work in Creyos?

With Creyos, the MDQ can be easily administered by a technician or mental health professional, on a tablet in a clinic or via email for the patient to complete at home. This flexibility means that healthcare providers can maximize their appointment time with a patient to discuss results.

Creyos uses APIs to integrate with a variety of electronic health systems and has a built-in integration with athenahealth. Our platform automatically collects, scores, and organizes results from each questionnaire and adds them to the patient’s EHR.

What symptoms does the MDQ evaluate?

The MDQ questionnaire considers symptoms of mania and hypomania, including: increased energy or activity; grandiosity; decreased need for sleep; racing thoughts; distractibility; impulsive behavior; increased self-esteem or self-confidence; increased talkativeness; increased interest in sex; and excessive involvement in activities that have potential for negative consequences.

How can the MDQ questionnaire support patients?

The MDQ questionnaire should be used as a screening tool to assist primary care providers or mental health professionals in understanding symptoms of bipolar disorder and monitoring symptom severity over time. Any conclusions drawn from the MDQ should be paired with further assessment, such as clinical interviews and observations, additional mental health examinations or assessments, and evaluations of the patient’s level of distress, functional impairment, and/or family history.

What can the MDQ not do?

While the MDQ questionnaire shows about 80% sensitivity across studies, it does not suggest a particular diagnosis or course of treatment on its own. MDQ scores are meant as an aid to quantify and measure the presence and severity of symptoms over time.

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