Bipolar Mood Charts

Mood Charts

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with bipolarity disorder you may be familiar with mood charts. Simply put, mood charts are a self-tracking tool for monitoring your moods and other important health aspects. Mood charts vary from simple to complex – enabling you track your moods quickly and easily, or empowering you to deep insights with your behavioral relationships. This site is intended as a snapshot resource to what is available to you and the advantages/disadvantages with each chart or tool.

Example of an Online Mood Chart, from bipolarcharts.com

Everything I have reviewed is free to use, so don't be afraid to look around for the one that suits you best! Let's take a look...

Printable Versions

This site features a monthly tracking chart you can print for month-to-month use. This two page form can be used for an easy way to track the medications you are using and how you feel each day. It has a warm, user friendly format that gives it an appealing look.

Direct link: http://www.psychiatry24x7.com/bgdisplay.jhtml?itemname=mooddiary

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ease of use x Utility x Organization x Advantages Disadvantages Clean and visually appealing

Simple to use Instructions separate

Lacks utility

Two pages (optional)

An obvious choice for professionals, this one page chart is geared entirely around medications. The organization is fair, and it still possesses the same utility most printable charts offer. I would consider using this if you are taking multiple medications, or are specifically focused on viewing the results of a medication you are taking.

Direct link: http://www.manicdepressive.org/moodchart.html

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ease of use x Utility x Organization x Advantages Disadvantages Geared toward professionals

One Page Instructions separate

Limited focus

Plain

This is a really fun site, perfect for parents or professionals alike. There are 3 different charts: boy mood chart, girl mood chart, and the monthly mood chart. The boy and girl chart are adorned with illustrations for each mood they may be experiencing. Although this makes the chart perfect for children, it limits the charting capabilities to one day per page. To account for this a monthly chart available in an excel format is provided, also with the same child friendly verbiage for easy use.

Direct link: http://www.bpchildren.com/Charting.html

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ease of use x Utility x Organization x Advantages Disadvantages Very easy to use

Perfect for children

Illustrated One page per day

Specific to children

Monthly only available in Excel

This chart is similar to psyciatry24x7's chart, except it has been broken down onto one page, and includes the instructions on the chart itself. The presentation is superb, but space is limited. Here is a good choice for anyone who doesn't feel like checking the instructions online anytime they forget how to use it.

Direct link: http://www.cqaimh.org/pdf/tool_edu_moodchart.pdf

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ease of use x Utility x Organization x Advantages Disadvantages Easy to use format, includes instructions

Colorful and organized Space is limited – font is small

No place for comments

Online Versions

Here you will find much more than just a charting tool: Although offering the same ease of use and simplicity as a printable chart, you can take everything five steps deeper and track everything from your diet to your social habits. You can track anything you want, and with an automatic email reminder you don't even need to remember to fill it out. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in more than just how medications are impacting their condition, after a short while you can get a whole snapshot of your life and see everything that affects you.

Direct link: http://www.bipolarcharts.com/users/login

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ease of use x Utility x Organization x Advantages Disadvantages Complete freedom to track anything

Login and instructions are fast and easy

Detailed and visually appealing charts Requires some manual entry

Not ideal for basic tracking

Requires some instruction

A sort of win-win for health researchers and patients: this mood chart is provided free of charge as a research study. Using the step-by-step instructions you are about 30 minutes away from a 4 year history of your condition. You will need to have important dates available, such as: hospitalizations, medications taken, as well as manic or depressive episodes. This site offers a good way to glimpse into the past and see the development of your condition.

Direct link: https://www.moodchart.org/Default.aspx

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ease of use x Utility x Organization x Advantages Disadvantages Step by step instructions

Offers a view of your condition's history

Simple, high level chart Requires manual entry

Need to have important dates available

Not ideal for daily use

This appears to be the online equivalent to the printable charts. After a few minutes of creating a log in and adding your medication information you have access to a quick and easy online solution for simple tracking. Recommended for people who aren’t looking for in depth tracking, but prefer online to printable options.

Direct link: https://www.moodtracker.com/index.php