YMRS: Young Mania Rating Scale. 11-item clinician-administered scale. 4 items (5,6,8,9) scored on 0–8 scale; 7 items on 0–4. Total 0–60. Standard endpoint in mania therapy trials.
1. Elevated Mood
2. Increased Motor Activity–Energy
3. Sexual Interest
4. Sleep
5. Irritability
6. Speech (Rate and Amount)
7. Language–Thought Disorder
8. Content
9. Disruptive–Aggressive Behaviour
10. Appearance
11. Insight
Guidelines & Evidence
Verified
Last Review: 2026-07-17
When to Use
When to Use
Clinician-rated severity assessment in confirmed or suspected manic episode (Bipolar I, Bipolar II hypomania)
Primary endpoint in pharmacotherapy trials for mania (regulatory gold standard)
Treatment monitoring: assess at admission, day 7, day 14, and end of acute episode
Differentiating manic episode severity to guide inpatient vs. outpatient management
How it Works
Scale Structure
11 items total
7 items scored 0–4 (Elevated Mood, Increased Activity, Sexual Interest, Sleep, Appearance, Language-Thought, Insight)
4 items scored 0–8 (Irritability, Speech Rate/Amount, Content, Disruptive Behaviour)
Total range: 0–60
Severity Thresholds
Score
Severity
0–12
No mania / minimal symptoms
13–19
Mild mania
20–35
Moderate mania
≥ 36
Severe mania
Clinical Pearls
Treatment Benchmarks
Response: ≥ 50% reduction from baseline YMRS score
Developed by Robert C. Young and colleagues in 1978 at Cornell University Medical Center. The 11 items were selected to cover core manic symptom domains with emphasis on observable, clinician-rateable behaviours to improve inter-rater reliability.
Last Comprehensive Review: 2026-07-17
In Recent Clinical News
Scanning Medical Journals
No new significant updates or guidelines matching this topic were found today. We will check again soon.