In a recent article published in the journal
Current Medical Research and Opinion, researchers funded by AbbVie (a pharmaceutical company that sells several medications for depression and bipolar disorder) stated that they had developed a six-question âRapid Screening Toolâ for diagnosing bipolar I.
This screening tool is now being promoted in outlets such as
Yet, as even a quick look at the research paper reveals, this questionnaire wasnât even tested as a screening tool, and it relies on questions that mistake adverse reactions to antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs as symptoms of bipolar disorder.
But this publication also suggests a larger subject: Is there any evidence for âscreeningâ for psychiatric disorders? And what are the potential harms?