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How does your mood actually feel right now?
Four quick questions. We’ll point you at the right validated mood disorder test — depression, anxiety, or bipolar — in under a minute.
Over the last 2 weeks, what’s been the loudest?
Pick the one that fits best. Don’t overthink it.
Sleep — how has it been?
This matters more than people realize for sorting mood patterns apart.
Has there been a stretch where you felt unusually high — lots of energy, less sleep, racing thoughts, doing more than usual?
A lifetime question. Even just once counts.
Right now, are you having thoughts of harming yourself?
Honest answer is the helpful one. Help is here either way.
Help right now is the priority.
Please use crisis support before doing anything else. A real psychiatric evaluation is the next step — ours or anyone’s — once you are safe.
Call or text 988 Book an intake call →Please use crisis support now. Call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) — free, 24/7, confidential. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or go to your nearest ER. Or call us directly: (646) 347-6704.
Take the MDQ next — bipolar screen
A history of unusual high-energy periods can change which medication is safe. The MDQ takes 4 minutes and is the standard pre-treatment safety screen.
Take the MDQ → Or start with the PHQ-9 →Take the PHQ-9 next — depression screen
Low mood, low energy, or sleeping too much are the depression-pattern signals. The PHQ-9 is the standard 2-minute screener and routes you to the MDQ if needed.
Take the PHQ-9 → Or check anxiety with the GAD-7 →Take the GAD-7 next — anxiety screen
Worry and trouble sleeping are the anxiety-pattern signals. The GAD-7 takes 90 seconds and routes you to the PHQ-9 if depression is also in the picture.
Take the GAD-7 → Or start with the PHQ-9 →Take the MDQ to rule it in or out
A maybe on the high-energy question is worth checking. The MDQ takes 4 minutes and rules in or out the bipolar pattern.
Take the MDQ → Or use the broader triage →Not sure which screener fits? Try the triage
A bit of everything is its own signal — the 5-question triage at What’s going on? meanders between depression, anxiety, ADHD, autism, OCD, and burnout pathways based on your input.
Take the triage → Or book an intake call →Take one directly if you already know which one fits
Want care, not just a test? Explore high-functioning anxiety care or movement-first care for low mood — treat the cause, not just the symptom.
Depression, anxiety, and bipolar look similar — and they need different treatments.
Depression and anxiety co-occur in roughly half of patients. Bipolar disorder hides inside about 10% of what gets called depression.
The treatments diverge: SSRIs for unipolar depression and most anxiety, mood stabilizers for bipolar, and SSRIs given without a mood stabilizer to someone with bipolar can trigger mania. That’s why we route every positive PHQ-9 through the MDQ before booking medication.
What treatment with PIM actually looks like
We see adult depression, anxiety, and bipolar in NY, FL, and NJ. Most patients are tech, finance, healthcare, or creative-industry professionals in NYC. We accept Aetna and UnitedHealthcare in-network in NY (including Oscar, Optum, Oxford). Intake Director Leann calls back within 1 business day. The first appointment is usually within a week. Book an intake call →
The standard order of operations
If your dominant signal is low mood, take the PHQ-9. If it scores 10 or higher, take the MDQ next. If the MDQ is also positive, the next step is a real psychiatric evaluation before starting any medication. If anxiety is louder than mood, start with the GAD-7 — it routes to the PHQ-9 on positive because of how often the two travel together.
Not sure it’s a mood thing?
If you’re reading this page and thinking your problem might not actually be mood — could be ADHD, autism, OCD, burnout, or something else — the universal triage at What’s going on? walks through all of them in 5 questions.
When to seek help right now
If you are in crisis, call or text 988. If you have thoughts of self-harm and need immediate help, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. For non-urgent psychiatric care in NY, FL, or NJ, book an intake call — Intake Director Leann calls back within 1 business day.
Authoritative resources
NIMH — Depression · NIMH — Anxiety Disorders · NIMH — Bipolar Disorder · DBSA · ADAA
Depression, anxiety, or bipolar — a complete guide to mood disorder tests
A mood disorder test is a short, validated questionnaire that measures the symptoms of depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder and tells you whether a full evaluation is worth booking. Three instruments cover almost all of adult mood screening: the PHQ-9 depression test (Kroenke 2001), the GAD-7 anxiety test (Spitzer 2006), and the MDQ bipolar test (Hirschfeld 2000).
These are the same screeners used in primary care and psychiatry clinics — not pop quizzes. Each takes under five minutes, and none of them diagnoses anything. A score is not a diagnosis. It is a data point.
Which mood disorder test should you take first?
Match the test to your loudest signal. This is the same triage logic the four questions above use:
| Screener | What it measures | Length | Take it first when |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHQ-9 · Depression | Nine DSM-based depression symptoms over the past 2 weeks — low mood, anhedonia, sleep, energy, appetite, concentration, self-worth | 9 questions · ~2 min | Feeling low, flat, or hopeless is the loudest signal, or you are sleeping too much |
| GAD-7 · Anxiety | Core anxiety symptoms over the past 2 weeks — worry you cannot switch off, restlessness, feeling on edge, irritability | 7 questions · ~90 sec | Constant worry or trouble falling asleep is louder than low mood |
| MDQ · Bipolar | Lifetime history of manic or hypomanic episodes — 13 symptoms plus same-period clustering and impairment | 15 questions · ~4 min | You have ever had a distinct high-energy stretch with little need for sleep — and always before starting an antidepressant |
Depression vs anxiety vs bipolar: the differences that matter
The depression vs anxiety vs bipolar question is really a question about pattern. The three conditions overlap heavily on the surface — poor sleep, poor concentration, irritability, and exhaustion show up in all of them. The difference lives in the pattern. Depression is a sustained low: flat mood, lost interest, and low energy that sit there for weeks.
Anxiety points forward: the engine is worry about what could go wrong, and the body stays on alert — tense, restless, wired at bedtime. Bipolar disorder is defined by episodes: distinct stretches of elevated energy and reduced need for sleep that alternate with depressive lows.
Second, about 1 in 10 people who present with depression are actually in the depressed phase of bipolar disorder — and an antidepressant given without a mood stabilizer can trigger mania in that group.
That is why the MDQ bipolar screen comes before any SSRI conversation, every time. The NIMH depression overview, the NIMH anxiety disorders page, and the NIMH bipolar disorder overview explain each condition in plain language.
What happens after a positive screen?
A positive screen on any of the three tests is a signal to talk to a clinician — any clinician — not a verdict. Psychiatry in Motion is a Brooklyn-based practice serving New York, Florida, and New Jersey via telehealth. We are in-network with Aetna and UnitedHealthcare in NY; self-pay is $200. Intake Director Leann calls back within 1 business day. Book an intake call when you are ready.
If none of the mood patterns fit, the signal may live somewhere else entirely — ADHD, autism, OCD, or burnout. The universal triage at What’s going on? covers all of those pathways in 5 questions, and the full library of free, psychiatrist-reviewed screeners lives in The Vault.
Common questions
Is this a diagnosis?
Which mood disorder test should I take first?
Can I have depression and anxiety at the same time?
Why take a bipolar screen before starting an antidepressant?
Are my answers stored anywhere?
Do you take insurance?
When to get help right now
This page is not for emergencies. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — free, 24/7, confidential), call 911, or go to your nearest emergency room. You do not have to be in crisis to deserve care — but if you are, please reach out now.
Sources and further reading
- National Institute of Mental Health. Depression. nimh.nih.gov
- National Institute of Mental Health. Anxiety Disorders. nimh.nih.gov
- National Institute of Mental Health. Bipolar Disorder. nimh.nih.gov
- Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA). dbsalliance.org
- Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA). adaa.org
Curated by Dr. Ahmed Al-Katib, MD, board-certified psychiatrist (ABPN) · Verify board certification · Last reviewed 2026-07