Altman Self-Rating Mania Scale (ASRM)

The ASRM is a 5-item self rating mania scale, designed to assess the presence and/or severity of manic symptoms.
The ASRM may be used in an inpatient or outpatient setting to screen for the presence of and/or severity of manic symptoms for clinical or research purposes.
Because it is compatible with DSM-IV criteria, and correlates significantly with Clinician-Administered Rating Scale for Mania (CARS-M), Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), it can be used effectively as a screening instrument to facilitate diagnostic assessment inpatients with hypomanic symptoms.

In outpatient settings the ASRM may be used as a psycho-educational tool to help patients recognize and monitor their own symptoms.
It may be used reliably as a self-report measure of efficacy for patients receiving clinical treatment.
It may be used in combination with self-rating depression scales to assess mixed states of mania and depression.

Sum items 1-5
- A cutoff score of 6 or higher indicates a high probability of a manic or hypomanic condition (based on a sensitivity rating of 85.5% and a specificity rating of 87.3%).
- A score of 6 or higher may indicate a need for treatment and/or further diagnostic workup to confirm a diagnosis of mania or hypomania.
- A score of 5 or lower is less likely to be associated with significant symptoms of mania.
As a self-report measure of clinical efficacy, items 1-5 should be summed to give a total score, which then may be compared to subsequent total scores during and after treatment.

Specificity of 85.5
Sensitivity of 87.31¹

1. Altman EG, Hedeker D, Peterson JL, Davis JM. The Altman self-rating mania scale. Society of Biological Psychiatry 1997; 42:948-955.

Questionnaire

Name Date:

There are 5 statements groups on this questionnaire: read each group of statements carefully.
Choose the one statement in each group that best describes the way you have been feeling for the past week or day (depending on the frequency of your measurements).
Check the box next to the number/statement selected.
Once you have rated all statements, press the button underneath the questionnaire.
Please note: The word “occasionally” when used here means once or twice; “often” means several times or more and “frequently” means most of the time.

I do not feel happier or more cheerful than usual. I occasionally feel happier or more cheerful than usual. I often feel happier or more cheerful than usual. I feel happier or more cheerful than usual most of the time. I feel happier or more cheerful than usual all of the time.
I do not feel more self-confident than usual. I occasionally feel more self-confident than usual. I often feel more self-confident than usual. I feel more self-confident than usual. I feel extremely self-confident all of the time.
I do not need less sleep than usual. I occasionally need less sleep than usual. I often need less sleep than usual. I frequently need less sleep than usual. I can go all day and night without any sleep and still not feel tired.
I do not talk more than usual. I occasionally talk more than usual. I often talk more than usual. I frequently talk more than usual. I talk constantly and cannot be interrupted
I have not been more active (either socially, sexually, at work, home or school) than usual. I have occasionally been more active than usual. I have often been more active than usual I have frequently been more active than usual. I am constantly active or on the go all the time.

Permission for use granted by EG Altman, MD