Mood Disturbance in Adolescents Screened by the Mood Disorder Questionnaire Predicts Poorer Social Adjustment

PurposeEarly-onset bipolar disorder is associated with a more severe illness course and poorer outcome. Its identification in adolescents may provide the opportunity for adequate intervention to improve global functioning and long-term prognosis. Thus, this study aimed to screen mood disturbance in a sample of high school students using Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) and follow up their adaptive functioning 1 year later.MethodsIn the first year, adolescents aged 15–17 years old from a Taiwanese senior high school (N = 1,151) completed the Chinese version of MDQ, the Impulsiveness Scale, and a set of questions about risky behaviors. A subgroup of respondents (N = 184) picked randomly were interviewed to validate the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. In the second year, the Social Adjustment Inventory for Children and Adolescents was applied for the same sample of subjects for the measurement of their adaptive functions.ResultsThe intraclass correlation coefficient and the Cronbach α coefficient of the MDQ were .68 and .61, respectively. MDQ score of at least 7 showed modest sensitivity (.57) and specificity (.64) for bipolar disorder. Higher MDQ score predicted risky behaviors in adolescents at baseline measurement. MDQ score was found significantly correlated with Impulsiveness Scale total score. In follow-up evaluation, participants with an MDQ score of ≥7 had poorer social adjustment.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that untreated mood disturbance among adolescents leads to impaired social adaptive functioning in the next year. The application of MDQ in adolescents may help clinicians in early intervention for their emotional disturbance.