A Study of Factor Structure of the Mood Disorder Questionnaire in a Sample of Iranian Pregnant Women

Objective: The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) has been developed as a self-reporting, brief, and easy-to-use screening instrument to improve identification of bipolar mood disorders. The goals of the present study were to examine the prevalence of this disorder and interrelationship of its symptoms by factor analysis of MDQ in a group of pregnant women in Iran.

Methods: One thousand and eight hundred and ninety eight pregnant women in their third trimester were recruited to take part in a cross-sectional study. Trained local health workers administered MDQ for them. A principal component factor analysis was used to determine factors for relevant items of MDQ questions.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 25.4 ± 5.1 years. About 3.9% of participants met the MDQ diagnostic criteria for bipolar mood disorder, and 19.6% scored positively for at least one Mood Disorder Questionnaire item and also had moderate to severe psychosocial impairment (second sample). The first factor analysis on the whole sample revealed elevated mood, increased self-confidence and energy, increased social activity and disinhibited sexual behavior as significant. Irritability, talkativeness, insomnia, racing thoughts, distractibility, risky behavior and overspending were determined as important by the second factor analysis.

Conclusion: Self-reporting of hypomanic symptoms by Iranian pregnant women revealed a relatively high prevalence rate of Bipolar Spectrum Disorders. Study analysis also showed there were two independent factors: an energized-activity factor and an elevated mood-thought racing factor.