Screening for bipolar disorder: strengths and limitations of currently available instruments

The broad clinical spectrum of bipolar disorder is under-diagnosed and may affect up to 5% of the population. In recent years, several instruments have been developed to aid screening, diagnosis and research into bipolar spectrum disorders. Here we review the strengths and limitations of these instruments, which include the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), the Hypomania Checklist (HCL-32) and the Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale (BSDS). We focus on the potential use of these instruments in primary care and community psychiatric settings