Mood disorders: 19 questionnaires and rating scales

The STAXI-2 is a self-report tool designed to measure the intensity of anger in the present moment ("state anger") and the general tendency to experience anger ("trait anger"), as well as the different ways in which anger is expressed or controlled. It is widely used to assess the anger dimension in various clinical and nonclinical populations. The STAXI-2 includes several subscales that allow a detailed and differentiated analysis of the experience and expression of anger.

The ASRM is a self-report tool designed to measure the severity of manic symptoms in people suspected of having mood disorders, particularly bipolar disorder. Quick and easy to administer, it provides a standardized quantitative measure of manic symptomatology over the past 7 days.

The OAS is a clinical observation scale designed to objectively assess overt aggressive behavior in adults and children, particularly in inpatient psychiatry or institutional settings. It measures four dimensions of aggression: verbal aggression, physical aggression against objects, physical aggression against self, and physical aggression against other people. The tool makes it possible to document each aggressive episode according to its level of severity, as well as the interventions put in place by the team. It is particularly useful for longitudinal monitoring, risk assessment, analysis of treatment response, and the standardization of observations in both clinical practice and research.

This cyclothymia questionnaire corresponds to the cyclothymic subscale of the TEMPS-A. It is a brief 21-item yes/no self-report questionnaire designed to identify cyclothymic temperament, that is, a lasting instability of mood, energy, sleep, self-esteem, and emotional reactivity. In clinical practice, it helps guide the interview when there is marked affective variability, impulsivity, recurrent mood swings, or a suspicion of attenuated bipolarity underlying presentations of recurrent depression, anxiety, or borderline traits. Its main value lies in screening and structuring the clinical assessment, not in diagnosis on its own.

The DARS is a self-report questionnaire designed to measure state anhedonia, that is, the current reduction in interest, motivation, effort expended, and pleasure experienced in response to usually rewarding experiences. It explores four clinically useful domains: hobbies, food and drinks, social activities, and sensory experiences. Its distinctive feature is that it asks the patient to name their own enjoyed activities or experiences, which improves clinical relevance and limits the cultural bias associated with imposed examples. The DARS is particularly useful in the assessment of depressive disorders and mood disorders, as well as in the longitudinal monitoring of anhedonia in clinical practice, in research, or during treatment. Its subdimension profile helps identify whether the impairment mainly concerns interest, initiating action, effort investment, or pleasure itself.

The RMS is a quick screening tool designed to identify the presence of bipolar disorder, particularly when major depressive disorder is suspected. It aims to facilitate the referral of patients for a more thorough clinical assessment. It is simple to administer and suited to both primary and specialty care settings.

The P-YMRS is a brief questionnaire completed by a parent or caregiver to identify and quantify the intensity of manic symptoms in children and adolescents. It notably explores elevated or irritable mood, increased energy, decreased sleep, accelerated speech and thinking, unusual thought content, aggressiveness, appearance and insight. In clinical practice, it is mainly used as a screening tool and for monitoring symptom changes when pediatric bipolar disorder or mood instability is suspected. It is quick to administer, which makes it useful in outpatient practice, child psychiatry and research. It cannot establish a diagnosis on its own and must always be interpreted together with the clinical interview, the developmental history and contextual information.

The SHAPS is a brief self-report questionnaire on anhedonia, designed to estimate the capacity to experience pleasure in ordinary everyday situations. Its 14 items explore four broad domains: interests and pastimes, social interaction, sensory experiences, and food and drink. The tool is valued for its simplicity, its good clinical acceptability and its relative sensitivity to changes in current state, which makes it useful for identifying anhedonia and monitoring its course in patients presenting, in particular, with a depressive episode, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or other clinical presentations in which loss of pleasure is central.

The MDQ (Mood Disorder Questionnaire) is a screening tool designed to identify the characteristic symptoms of bipolar disorders, particularly bipolar I and II disorders. It assesses the presence of episodes of elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, accompanied by associated behaviors, in order to guide the clinical evaluation. Although it does not establish a diagnosis, it allows rapid identification of patients who may require further investigation.

The PANAS is a brief self-report questionnaire that measures two relatively independent dimensions of mood: positive affect and negative affect. It includes 20 emotion adjectives and estimates the intensity of the pleasant and unpleasant emotions experienced over a reference period defined by the clinician (right now, today, over the past week, in general, etc.). It helps objectify emotional state, monitor mood fluctuations, and complement the assessment of anxiety, depressive, or stress symptoms.

The BSDS is a self-administered screening tool designed to identify bipolar spectrum disorders. It focuses on recognizing attenuated or atypical forms of bipolar disorders, which are often difficult to diagnose with other questionnaires. This test is useful in clinical practice as an initial screening tool.

The BPAQ is a self-report questionnaire assessing dispositional aggression. It measures four complementary dimensions of aggression: physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger and hostility. This tool is widely used in clinical psychology, psychiatry, forensic settings and research to objectively document a patient's aggression profile, identify the most salient dimensions and monitor changes over the course of treatment. It assesses the behavioral, emotional and cognitive manifestations of aggression, which makes it useful for exploring acting-out behaviors, irritability, emotional reactivity and hostile attitudes.

The BSL-23 is a brief self-report questionnaire designed to estimate the current severity of symptoms typical of borderline personality disorder over the past seven days. Derived from the BSL-95, it explores in particular emotion dysregulation, shame, feelings of emptiness, self-deprecation, thoughts of self-harm, certain dissociative phenomena, and fear of losing control. Its main clinical value lies in assessing symptom intensity and monitoring progress during treatment, rather than in categorical diagnosis alone. It is used in research and clinical practice to objectively measure the level of borderline distress and identify changes over time.

The HCL-32 is a self-report tool designed to screen for symptoms of hypomania in patients with mood disorders. It is widely used to differentiate unipolar depressive disorder from bipolar disorder by identifying episodes of elevated mood or unusual energy. It offers a structured approach to collecting subjective information on hypomanic episodes, which is useful for differential diagnosis.

The BSSQ is a self-report tool designed to screen for bipolar spectrum disorders. It helps identify symptoms consistent with bipolar disorder, particularly in patients who may not present with classic manic symptoms. It does not replace a clinical diagnosis but points the clinician toward a more in-depth assessment.

The HCL-32 is a self-report questionnaire designed to identify manifestations of hypomania, particularly useful in screening for bipolar II disorder. Composed of 32 yes/no items, it explores current mood state, usual mood variations, and episodes of increased energy or activity. It provides information on the frequency, duration and impact of the episodes, as well as on the reactions of those around them. This tool has high diagnostic sensitivity and makes it possible to distinguish bipolar forms from unipolar disorders.

The ALS is a self-report questionnaire designed to measure affective lability, that is, the tendency to experience rapid, marked mood shifts that are difficult to regulate. It explores the frequency and intensity of emotional swings, particularly between states such as anxiety, sadness, anger, and elevated mood. The ALS is used in clinical practice and research to document emotional instability, particularly in personality disorders, certain mood disorders, and emotion dysregulation problems. It is not a diagnostic tool on its own, but it provides a useful measure of the severity of affective lability and its clinical impact.

The CBQ is a screening questionnaire completed by a parent or a close caregiver to identify a profile consistent with pediatric bipolar disorder. It explores 65 emotional and behavioral manifestations, including mood lability, excitability, sleep disturbances, distractibility, irritability, impulsivity, aggression, grandiosity, risk-taking behaviors, certain anxiety symptoms and unusual perceptual experiences. Used in clinical practice and research, it helps objectively document symptom severity and several dimensions of functional impairment. Its main value lies in early detection and in guiding the diagnostic evaluation.

The UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale is designed to assess different aspects of impulsive behavior. It is based on a multifactorial model of impulsivity that identifies four main dimensions: urgency, lack of perseverance, lack of premeditation, and sensation seeking. It helps psychologists better understand how these different impulsivity factors are represented in an individual.