title: The utility of the Mood Disorders Questionnaire as a screening tool in a methadone maintenance treatment program.
abstract: Abstract Objective. Comorbid mental illness amongst methadone maintenance therapy clients may be common and screening may be warranted. The Mood Disorders Questionnaire (MDQ) is a screening tool for bipolar disorder that has been validated in other treatment settings. Its utility for patients with substance use disorders is assessed in this study. Methods. Clients of a methadone maintenance program were invited to complete the MDQ when they attended a public Drug and Alcohol Service for their regular scheduled appointments. Information about their history of substance use was also collected. Results. Eighty clients (43 females, 37 males) aged 35 ± 8.0 years (mean ± SD) participated in the study. Seventy-four clients completed the MDQ of which 36 (48.6%) obtained a positive screen. A check of client files suggested that only three of the 74 participants had a current working diagnosis of bipolar disorder. These three participants had screened positive on the MDQ. Conclusions. There was a high prevalence of manic symptoms reported by participants, suggesting that screening for bipolar disorder in this population may be warranted. However, there is a risk of false positives with the MDQ, as it does not clearly differentiate between symptoms of mania and drug intoxication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Melbourne, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Kristi-Ann
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Villagonzalo
authors.forename: Seetal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dodd
authors.forename: Felicity
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mihaly
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Langbein
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berk
keywords: Mood Disorder Questionnaire; bipolar disorder; methadone maintenance; screening tool; substance abuse