This questionnaire is a designed to screen for the possibility of a disorder in the bipolar spectrum in individuals, 18 or older, who have had at least one depression severe enough to have caused them distress and/or interfered with their functioning at home, work, school or in their interpersonal relationships.

Print out the questionnaire below and indicate your answers. Information on how to interpret the results follows the questionnaire.

                                         GBSS 5.0

The items below refer to how you have felt and behaved over much of your life. If 
you have usually been one way, and have recently changed, your responses should 
reflect how you have USUALLY been. Circle one of the numbers under each item using 
the following scale:

0 = Not at all                1 = Just a little             2 = Somewhat 

3 = Moderately                4 = Quite a lot               5 = Very much

==================================================================================

1. At times I am much more talkative or speak much faster than usual.	
0  1  2  3  4  5

2. There have been times when I was much more active or did many more 
things than usual.								
0  1  2  3  4  5

3. I get into moods where I feel very speeded up or irritable.		
0  1  2  3  4  5

4. There have been times when I have felt both high (elated) and low 
(depressed) at the same time. 					
0  1  2  3  4  5

5. At times I have been much more interested in sex than usual.	
0  1  2  3  4  5

6. My self-confidence ranges from great self-doubt to equally great 
overconfidence. 							
0  1  2  3  4  5

7. There have been GREAT variations in the quantity or quality of my work.										
0  1  2  3  4  5

8. For no apparent reason I sometimes have been VERY angry or hostile.										
0  1  2  3  4  5

9. I have periods of mental dullness and other periods of very creative thinking.							
0  1  2  3  4  5

10. At times I am greatly interested in being with people and at other times 
I just want to be left alone with my thoughts.	
0  1  2  3  4  5

11. I have had periods of great optimism and other periods of equally great 
pessimism.					
0  1  2  3  4  5

12. I have had periods of tearfulness and crying and other times when I laugh 
and joke excessively.			
0  1  2  3  4  5

                      Copyright (C) 2003  Ivan Goldberg, MD

How to interpret your score

Remember that a psychiatric diagnosis can only be made by a psychiatrist after a full psychiatric evaluation.

This questionnaire is valid only if you are 18 or older and have had a depression severe enough to have caused distress and/or interfered with your functioning in one or more important areas of life such as home, work, school, or interpersonal relationships. Add up the scores you have given each of the 12 items. Individuals with total scores of 15 or less are most likely suffering from Major (unipolar) Depression.

Those scoring between 16 and 24 may have either major depression or a disorder in the bipolar spectrum.

Those scoring 25 or more have a high probability of having a bipolar spectrum disorder.

Revised 4 July 2006