How painful is it to suffer from bipolar disorder?
Imagine, at times flying high in the clouds, excited beyond measure, and then plummeting into the abyss, feeling depressed and hopeless.
These extreme mood swings bring great distress to the lives of patients.
In order to identify problems early and encourage patients to seek professional help, the Bipolar Mood Disorder Self-Assessment Scale emerged.
These scales are easy to operate and can quickly provide individuals with preliminary information about whether further professional diagnosis is needed.
While they cannot replace professional medical diagnosis, they play a very important role in early problem detection.
What are the common self-assessment scales?
Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ)
The Mood Disorder Questionnaire is a self-assessment scale compiled by American psychiatrist Hirschfeld and others, consisting of 13 items, mainly examining whether the subjects have experienced manic symptoms at any point in the past.
The Mood Disorder Questionnaire is easy to operate, with subjects only needing to answer “yes” or “no” based on the items.
Hypomanic Checklist-32 (HCL-32)
This is a self-assessment scale developed by Professor Jules Angst and others in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, used to screen for mild to moderate hypomanic episodes.
Containing 32 items, it mainly measures factors such as high energy/elevated mood, recklessness/easily agitated, etc. This scale can be used to assess patients with bipolar disorder at any stage.
Guidelines for using self-assessment scales
Remain objective: When completing the scale, try to remain objective and answer each question truthfully.
Understand limitations: Although self-assessment scales can provide preliminary information, they cannot replace professional medical diagnosis.
Seek help promptly: If self-assessment results suggest potential issues, the key is to contact healthcare professionals for a thorough assessment and appropriate treatment.
Final thoughts
The Bipolar Mood Disorder Self-Assessment Scale is a tool for understanding our emotional states, helping us detect problems early and encouraging us to seek professional help promptly. However, remember that scales are just auxiliary tools, and a confirmed diagnosis relies on evaluation by medical professionals.
That’s all for today’s sharing. I hope this information provides a deeper understanding of bipolar mood disorder self-assessment scales and encourages everyone to pay attention to their mental health and seek help promptly. If you have any questions or need further information, feel free to leave a message for discussion.
