Mood patterns
Moods and energy change for everyone, with sleep, seasons, stress and what's going on in life. When low or high spells are strong, frequent or long, they can be part of what professionals call a mood disorder. Only a doctor or another qualified professional can diagnose one, after a full assessment that looks at a person's history and daily life over time, not a single questionnaire.
The MindScale quiz looks at how often you have noticed four patterns over the past year (low spells, high-energy spells, quick mood shifts, and changes in sleep and energy) as a starting point for reflection.
See your own result
Your score and full report: $2.95 for 7 days of full access, then $29.95 every 4 weeks until you cancel.
Low spells
How often you go through stretches of feeling flat, heavy or low on energy.
- Toward the high end
- People here notice low, flat stretches often.
- Around the middle
- People here have low stretches at times, more in some seasons or situations than others.
- Toward the low end
- Low, flat stretches are rare for people here.
High-energy spells
How often you have stretches of unusual energy, big plans and racing ideas.
- Toward the high end
- People here often have stretches of unusual energy, fast thoughts and big plans.
- Around the middle
- People here have bursts of extra energy and big ideas now and then.
- Toward the low end
- For people here, energy rarely spikes far above its usual level.
Quick mood shifts
How fast and how far your mood swings within a day or a week.
- Toward the high end
- For people here, mood often shifts quickly and strongly, sometimes without a clear reason.
- Around the middle
- For people here, mood shifts at times, usually with something going on around them.
- Toward the low end
- For people here, mood stays fairly even from day to day.
Sleep and energy changes
How much your sleep, appetite and energy change with your mood.
- Toward the high end
- For people here, sleep, appetite and energy often change a lot with mood.
- Around the middle
- For people here, sleep and energy change with mood at times, then settle again.
- Toward the low end
- For people here, sleep and energy stay fairly steady whatever their mood.
How scoring works
Each statement has five response choices. A response contributes from 1 to 5 points to the scale it belongs to, and the points become a position from 0 to 100. Around 0–33 is the low third, 34–66 is around the middle and 67–100 is the high third.
Looking at the separate positions is more useful than treating them as one overall score: the profile shows where the answers sit on each scale.
What looking at these patterns can help with
Seeing the four areas separately can help you describe what you notice more clearly: whether it's mostly low stretches, mostly bursts of unusual energy, mostly quick swings or mostly changes in sleep, appetite and energy.
That description can be useful if you decide to talk to a professional. It is not a result to act on by itself.
These patterns in everyday life
These patterns can show up as a week when everything feels flat, a burst of big plans, a day of ups and downs or a change in how you sleep. Some people find a simple mood diary helps them spot when a pattern starts and what goes with it.
If these patterns worry you or get in the way of your life, talk to a doctor or another qualified professional. If you are ever in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, contact your local emergency number right away.
How to take the test
MindScale's mood patterns test has 28 statements and no time limit. Choose the response that best matches how you usually are, not how you would like to be.
You can go back and change an answer. When you finish, you can unlock your score and full report: $2.95 for 7 days of full access, then $29.95 every 4 weeks until you cancel.
Your score and full report: $2.95 for 7 days of full access, then $29.95 every 4 weeks until you cancel.
Conclusion
Mood patterns fall into four areas: low spells, high-energy spells, quick mood shifts, and sleep and energy changes. Everyone's mood changes; only a qualified professional can say whether a pattern adds up to a mood disorder.
If you'd like to look at how often these patterns show up for you, the MindScale mood patterns quiz has 28 statements. It is not a diagnosis or a medical test, and the price is shown before you start.
See your own result
Your score and full report: $2.95 for 7 days of full access, then $29.95 every 4 weeks until you cancel.