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Validity of the mood disorder questionnaire: a general population study
Robert M A Hirschfeld1, Charles Holzer, Joseph R Calabrese
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, 1.302 Rebecca Sealy, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX 77555-0188, USA. rohirsch@utmb.edu
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|December 31, 2002
Summary
The Mood Disorder Questionnaire effectively screens for bipolar disorders in the general population, though its performance differs from psychiatric settings. This tool aids community mental health assessments.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Epidemiology
- Psychometrics
Background:
- The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) is a screening tool for bipolar I and II disorders.
- Previous validation of the MDQ was conducted in psychiatric outpatient settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the validity of the Mood Disorder Questionnaire in the adult general population.
- To compare the MDQ's performance in the community versus psychiatric outpatient settings.
Main Methods:
- A nationwide general population sample of 85,358 adults was surveyed.
- 711 subjects were randomly selected and interviewed using an abbreviated Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID).
Main Results:
- The Mood Disorder Questionnaire demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.281.
- A specificity of 0.972 was achieved for the Mood Disorder Questionnaire.
Conclusions:
- The Mood Disorder Questionnaire is a valuable screening instrument for bipolar disorders in community settings.
- The operating characteristics of the MDQ in the general population vary significantly compared to outpatient psychiatric samples.