Bipolar disorder is a serious mental condition that is typically marked by mood swings and unexpected shifts in energy levels and concentration. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the disorder affects nearly 2.8% of the population aged 18 or older on a yearly basis. Considering that the value of this percentage equates to a high number of adult citizens, it is evident that bipolar disorder affects many households.

In addition to timely treatment, individuals battling bipolar disorder also require mental, physical, and emotional support from physicians and loved ones. While most patients with conditions like bipolar, depression, or anxiety consult a doctor for expert advice, there are some individuals who resort to online bipolar, depression, and anxiety tests. But can one rely on such online tests? Let’s find out.

What is bipolar disorder?
As mentioned earlier, since the mental disorder causes extreme shifts in energy levels, it affects the ability to perform daily tasks. Affected individuals typically go back and forth between phases of manic euphoria and debilitating depression, with each phase lasting for days or even weeks at a time.

In the course of experiencing manic episodes, the affected person gets into an abnormally elevated mood, displaying extreme physical changes while talking and emoting. However, during a depressive episode, they experience sadness and/or loss of interest in many activities.

Types of bipolar disorder
According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, the disorder can be classified into four distinct types, as evident in the following list:

Bipolar I
The most common form of the condition is usually characterized by manic and depressive episodes that last for a week. Patients with this type of bipolar disorder require immediate care.

Bipolar II
This type is also characterized by episodes of hypomania accompanied by intermittent episodes of depression and anxiety. People suffering from bipolar II do not exhibit any full-blown manic episodes.

Cyclothymic disorder

Cyclothymic disorder is characterized by regular bouts of hypomania and depression, which last for up to two years. Though some patients may experience a brief period of normal mood, it only lasts for a couple of days.

Other specified and unspecified bipolar disorders
All mental health symptoms that cannot be classified as any of the recognized types are clubbed in this category. The person has to experience periods of abnormal mood elevation to meet the diagnostic criteria for this type.

What is an online bipolar depression disorder test?
These online self-assessment tests are a series of mental health and wellbeing-related questions that aim to help an individual assess whether they are suffering from bipolar disease or not. The questions contained in such online tests usually relate to one’s life experiences, how they are coping with their day-to-day lives, and social interactions. Based on the answers submitted, individuals receive their respective results, following which they can decide for themselves whether they are in need of further treatment or not. In some cases, such online tests also provide recommendations on what the individual should do next.

Is the online bipolar depression disorder test reliable ?
While there are a few online tests that follow the test criteria mentioned in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), it is certainly not advisable to blindly rely on any bipolar disorder test found on the web. Ultimately, an evaluation for the disorder should be left to registered professionals who have been trained to carry out such evaluations. Online screening tests, though helpful at times, are certainly not definitive tools. They cannot conclusively show whether an individual suffers from this condition on the basis of a series of answered questions or not.

One must remember that bipolar disorder and depression are serious mental health problems that can have adverse effects on an individual’s personal and professional life. While looking up a home remedy for a common cold or mild indigestion is perfectly acceptable, in many ways, the seriousness and severity of the disease demand the condition to be evaluated and treated by a health professional instead of a number of questions generated on a webpage.

In the end, an online bipolar depression disorder test cannot be considered a valid and reliable diagnostic instrument. At the same time, there is no harm in taking such a test to gain some insight about oneself. Trusting the results blindly is far from recommended. Individuals who take such online tests should share their results with a physician or a registered healthcare professional because that is the only way their test results can do them any good. Timely diagnosis and treatment can help one get relief from mental health symptoms.