Is it useful to use the Korean version of the mood disorder questionnaire for assessing bipolar spectrum disorder among Korean college students?

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of the Korean version of the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (K-MDQ) as a screening tool for the identification of bipolar spectrum disorder (BSD) among Korean college students.

METHODS

The sample of 1,020 college students was stratified to reflect geographical differences among the students. The K-MDQ and an epidemiological survey were administered between November 2006 and February 2007. To validate the K-MDQ as a screening tool for BSD, the Korean version of the Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale (K-BSDS) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) were also administered.

RESULTS

The rates satisfying MDQ criterion 1, and all three MDQ criteria, were 55.5% and 2.3%, respectively. According to the K-BSDS, 59.9% of the sample met the criteria for BSD using a threshold of 10, while no statistical differences were observed among subgroups. When we examined the diagnostic agreement between K-MDQ and K-BSDS, 79.5% of students who met MDQ criterion 1 were also positive on the BSDS. Sixteen (21.6%) of the 74 students who participated in the SCID interview were diagnosed with BSD.

DISCUSSION

Although the K-MDQ is a useful tool to assess BSD among inpatients and outpatients, it does not appear useful as a screening tool to detect BSD among college students.