A proper psychological evaluation may involve use of all or some of the above mentioned procedures along with psychological counseling wherein the individual may be allowed to express and talk about her/his thoughts, feelings, behavioral patterns, and actions. In this evaluation procedure, the patient may be observed over a period of time and her/his family or friends may be interviewed to provide more information related to the individual’s behavior. The therapy may simultaneously start after 2-3 sessions.

Self-report measures may be used in combination with other procedures to understand the signs and symptoms of bipolar. Goldberg Bipolar Screening Quiz, Bipolar self test or Altman Self-Rating Mania Scale may be used to understand the behavior and mood of an individual. Most of these tests require the client to answer multiple choice questions that may indicate their behavior, mania or depression conditions, and self-confidence.

Several invasive procedures such as blood tests may be performed to know whether the symptoms are caused or aggravated due to hormonal changes, physical illnesses, substance abuse, drug use, or injuries. If the symptoms are not caused by medical conditions or substance abuse, then only a patient will be diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Although, most of the symptoms of bipolar disorder are noticed during puberty, but sometimes, these symptoms may start exhibiting from the age of 5-12 years. Under such cases, the diagnosis becomes difficult as some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder (mania episode) may overlap with the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) such as hyperactivity and impulsivity or inattention. Therefore, a clinician may ask the patient to undergo a variety of tests to make a proper diagnosis.

Symptoms of depression may sometimes be misinterpreted as symptoms of bipolar disorder. In bipolar disorder, a person also presents depression symptoms that alternate with mania. But in several cases, depression is misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder and vice-versa. Therefore, a psychiatrist may use several techniques and self report measures along with observation to ascertain whether the symptoms are of depression or of bipolar disorder.

During an interview, a psychiatrist may ask detailed questions about bipolar symptoms. This will help him / her in knowing the patient’s history and the severity of the condition. The questions may focus on events in patient’s life along with her/his ability to express self, reasoning, memory, and the ability to maintain relationships.

A physician cannot note an individual’s behavioral characteristics throughout the day. Therefore, mood charting is an efficient way employed by the clinician to identify what is going on at a particular period of time. In this chart, the patient is asked to keep a daily record of her/his moods along with her/his appetite, daily activities, sleep patterns, and other related factors. The physician may go through this chart every few sessions to understand whether the individual has bipolar disorder or not. This chart also helps during the treatment of the disorder.

A patient may be observed over a period of time by a clinician. Herein, the clinician will try to take careful note of the symptoms. She or he will try to understand the patient’s mood changes along with their length, severity, and frequency. Generally, these swift mood changes don’t follow a set pattern, so the diagnosis may take some time.

A special diagnostic criteria laid down by DSM and ICD evaluates an individual for bipolar disorder. The physician may diagnose bipolar disorder on the basis of several symptoms and signs like abnormally elevated mood or abnormally depressed states that interferes with an individual’s normal functioning. Diagnosing this disorder is quite difficult, therefore, the patient may have to pay several visits to the physician for proper diagnosis.