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.