Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffWhen doctors suspect someone has bipolar disorder, they typically run a battery of medical and psychological tests and exams. These can help rule out other problems, pinpoint a diagnosis and also check for any related complications.
These exams and tests generally include:
- Physical exam. This may include measuring height and weight; checking vital signs, such as heart rate, blood pressure and temperature; listening to the heart and lungs; and examining the abdomen.
- Laboratory tests. These may include a complete blood count (CBC) as well as thyroid tests and other blood tests. You may also have a urinalysis.
- Psychological evaluation. A doctor or mental health provider will talk to you about your thoughts, feelings and behavior patterns. You may also fill out psychological self-assessments and questionnaires. You may be asked about substance or alcohol abuse. And with your permission, family members or close friends may be asked to provide information about your symptoms and possible episodes of mania or depression.
Diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder
To be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, you must meet the criteria spelled out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). This manual is published by the American Psychiatric Association and is used by mental health providers to diagnose mental conditions and by insurance companies to reimburse for treatment.
Diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder are based on the specific type of bipolar disorder as well as the history and types of episodes, such as manic, hypomanic or depressed. Talk to your doctor about which type of bipolar disorder you have so that you can learn more about your specific situation and its treatments.
Some researchers believe the current diagnostic criteria are too strict, though. Indeed, a growing volume of evidence indicates that bipolar disorder can be thought of more as a spectrum of disorders, with varying degrees of symptoms. Some researchers believe that many people go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed — and thus don't get appropriate treatment — because the criteria don't account for less severe but still serious symptoms.
