The HCL-32 asks you to recall a period when your energy, activity and mood were higher than usual and to mark which of 32 experiences came with it. It is meant for people who have had depression. A high score is a reason to talk to a specialist, not a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
The Hypomania Checklist (HCL-32) was developed by Jules Angst and colleagues and published in 2005. It lists 32 experiences that people often report in a “high” state, such as needing less sleep, talking more, spending more or taking more risks. For each one you answer Yes or No about a period you remember, whatever your mood is now. Your score is the number of Yes answers, from 0 to 32. The authors designed it mainly to screen people diagnosed with depression for earlier hypomanic symptoms (HCL-32 R1 manual, 2007). This page shows the total only, not the two factor scores described in the manual.
This is not a diagnosis
A checklist cannot diagnose bipolar disorder, and its authors say so: it can only help spot people whose history is worth a closer look. A diagnosis is made by a psychiatrist after a conversation about your history, your family and how your highs affected your life.
What happens to your answers
Your score is calculated right in your browser. Your answers reach our server only if you ask for your result by email: we write the email and do not keep them.
Does a score of 14 or more mean I have bipolar disorder?
No. In the authors’ manual, 14 or more Yes answers in a person with depression marks possible bipolarity and a reason for a careful interview. In earlier studies of this form the sensitivity was 80% and the specificity 51%, so the checklist misses some people and flags others. Only a specialist can tell.
Why does it ask about a past “high” and not how I feel today?
The checklist records the history of hypomanic symptoms over a lifetime. Many people do not notice such periods or do not see them as unusual, so they rarely mention them. You are asked to recall one period and answer about it, whatever your mood is now.
I have been feeling low for a while. Which test shows that?
The HCL-32 looks only at highs. To see how low your mood has been over the last two weeks, take the PHQ-9: Depression test
Source: Hypomania Checklist HCL-32: Angst J., Adolfsson R., Benazzi F., Gamma A., Hantouche E., Meyer T. D., Skeppar P., Vieta E., Scott J., 2005, The HCL-32: towards a self-assessment tool for hypomanic symptoms in outpatients, Journal of Affective Disorders 88(2), 217-233, DOI 10.1016/j.jad.2005.05.011. Scoring and cutoff: HCL-32 R1 Manual, version 06-2007 (Angst).
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