Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS)

Background

The Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) is a clinician-administered psychological assessment designed to measure the severity of manic symptoms commonly associated with bipolar disorder and related mood conditions. The scale evaluates elevated mood, increased energy and activity, irritability, sleep disturbance, speech patterns, thought disorder, aggressive behavior, appearance, and insight into illness.

The YMRS is one of the most widely used rating scales for assessing mania in clinical and research settings. It is commonly used to evaluate symptom severity during manic or hypomanic episodes and to monitor changes in symptoms over time during treatment. Higher scores generally indicate more severe manic symptoms and greater impairment in emotional, behavioral, and cognitive functioning.

Research has shown that the YMRS demonstrates strong psychometric properties, including good reliability, validity, and sensitivity to changes in manic symptom severity. The scale is frequently used in psychiatric evaluations, treatment outcome studies, and bipolar disorder research.

Procedure

Read each item carefully and select the option that best describes the individual’s current mood, behavior, thoughts, speech, and overall mental state during the recent past. Choose the response that most accurately reflects the severity of symptoms observed or experienced.

Participation

This assessment is intended for educational, screening, research, and self-reflection purposes only. It is not designed to provide a formal psychiatric diagnosis or replace professional clinical evaluation. Results should be interpreted carefully within the broader context of emotional, psychological, and behavioral functioning.

Scoring & Interpretation

Each item is rated using a symptom severity scale based on the intensity and frequency of manic symptoms. Some YMRS items traditionally carry weighted scoring in clinical administration due to their importance in mania assessment. Higher scores indicate greater severity of manic symptoms including elevated mood, increased activity, irritability, impulsivity, sleep disturbance, grandiosity, and behavioral dysregulation.

Start Assessment

Translations

Available Versions: English

Changelogs

Version 1.0:

Initial YMRS integration into Deenz Psychometric Scale Engine Pro.
Added clinician-style mania severity scoring support.
Added multidimensional bipolar mania assessment framework.
Added behavioral and cognitive symptom severity interpretation support.

Sources

1. Young RC, Biggs JT, Ziegler VE, Meyer DA. Young Mania Rating Scale. British Journal of Psychiatry. 1978.