The Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) calculator assesses symptoms of mania by providing a score based on user responses to 11 questions. Each question relates to specific symptoms and behaviors associated with mania, such as mood elevation, motor activity, sexual interest, sleep, irritability, speech, thought disorder, content, aggressive behavior, appearance, and insight. The responses are scored using predefined scales, and the sum of these scores determines the intensity of manic symptoms.

The scoring system for each symptom category assigns numerical values to response options. For instance, the "elevated mood" category is scored as follows: "Absent" = 0, "Mildly or possibly increased on questioning" = 1, up to "Euphoric; inappropriate laughter; singing" = 4. Similarly, other categories follow a respective scoring pattern, such as "irritability" where "Absent" = 0 and "Hostile, uncooperative; interview impossible" = 8, and "speech" where "No increase" = 0 and "Pressured; uninterruptible, continuous speech" = 8. These scores reflect the severity of symptoms:

| Category                           | Response Option                                                              | Score |
|------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------|
| Elevated mood                      | Absent                                                                       | 0     |
|                                    | Mildly or possibly increased on questioning                                  | 1     |
|                                    | Definite subjective elevation; optimistic, self-confident; cheerful          | 2     |
|                                    | Elevated; inappropriate to content; humorous                                 | 3     |
|                                    | Euphoric; inappropriate laughter; singing                                    | 4     |
| Increased motor activity-energy    | Absent                                                                       | 0     |
|                                    | Subjectively increased                                                       | 1     |
|                                    | Animated; gestures increased                                                 | 2     |
|                                    | Excessive energy; hyperactive at times; restless (can be calmed)             | 3     |
|                                    | Motor excitement; continuous hyperactivity (cannot be calmed)                | 4     |
| Sexual interest                    | Normal; not increased                                                        | 0     |
|                                    | Mildly or possibly increased                                                 | 1     |
|                                    | Definite subjective increase on questioning                                  | 2     |
|                                    | Spontaneous sexual content; hypersexual by self-report                       | 3     |
|                                    | Overt sexual acts toward others                                              | 4     |
| Sleep                              | Reports no decrease in sleep                                                 | 0     |
|                                    | Sleeping less than normal amount by up to one hour                           | 1     |
|                                    | Sleeping less than normal by more than one hour                              | 2     |
|                                    | Reports decreased need for sleep                                             | 3     |
|                                    | Denies need for sleep                                                         | 4     |
| Irritability                       | Absent                                                                       | 0     |
|                                    | Subjectively increased                                                       | 2     |
|                                    | Irritable at times during interview; recent episodes of anger                | 4     |
|                                    | Frequently irritable during interview; short, curt                           | 6     |
|                                    | Hostile, uncooperative; interview impossible                                 | 8     |
| Speech                             | No increase                                                                  | 0     |
|                                    | Feels talkative                                                              | 2     |
|                                    | Increased rate or amount at times, verbose                                   | 4     |
|                                    | Push; consistently increased rate and amount                                 | 6     |
|                                    | Pressured; uninterruptible, continuous speech                                 | 8     |
| Language-thought disorder          | Absent                                                                       | 0     |
|                                    | Circumstantial; mild distractibility; quick thoughts                         | 1     |
|                                    | Distractible, loses goal of thought; frequent topic changes                  | 2     |
|                                    | Flight of ideas; difficult to follow; rhyming, echolalia                     | 3     |
|                                    | Incoherent; communication impossible                                         | 4     |
| Content                            | Normal                                                                       | 0     |
|                                    | Questionable plans, new interests                                            | 2     |
|                                    | Special projects; hyper-religious                                            | 4     |
|                                    | Grandiose or paranoid ideas; ideas of reference                              | 6     |
|                                    | Delusions; hallucinations                                                    | 8     |
| Disruptive-aggressive behavior     | Absent, cooperative                                                          | 0     |
|                                    | Sarcastic; loud at times, guarded                                            | 2     |
|                                    | Demanding; threats                                                           | 4     |
|                                    | Threatens interviewer; shouting; interview difficult                         | 6     |
|                                    | Assaultive; destructive; interview impossible                                | 8     |
| Appearance                         | Appropriate dress and grooming                                               | 0     |
|                                    | Minimally unkempt                                                            | 1     |
|                                    | Poorly groomed; moderately disheveled                                        | 2     |
|                                    | Disheveled; partly clothed; garish make-up                                   | 3     |
|                                    | Completely unkempt; decorated; bizarre garb                                  | 4     |
| Insight                            | Present; admits illness; agrees with need for treatment                      | 0     |
|                                    | Possibly ill                                                                | 1     |
|                                    | Admits behavior change, but denies illness                                   | 2     |
|                                    | Admits possible change in behavior, but denies illness                       | 3     |
|                                    | Denies any behavior change                                                   | 4     |

The total score is calculated by summing the scores from all symptom categories, and the interpretation is based on this total score. A score of 25 or higher indicates that mania is "likely to be severe," while a score of 24 or less suggests it is "unlikely to be severe." The final result includes both the total score and its interpretation, providing a quantified measure of the severity of manic symptoms.

The Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) is a clinical calculator used in the field of psychiatry, specifically for patients with bipolar disorder. The YMRS is designed to assess the severity of manic episodes in these patients. It is a clinician-rated tool that measures the presence and degree of mania symptoms, including elevated mood, increased motor activity-energy, sexual interest, sleep, irritability, speech, language-thought disorder, content, disruptive-aggressive behavior, appearance, and insight. 

The YMRS is not applicable to patients without a diagnosis of bipolar disorder or those not experiencing a manic episode. It should also not be used as a standalone diagnostic tool, but rather as a part of a comprehensive clinical assessment. It is not suitable for use in patients with other psychiatric conditions where manic symptoms may not be the primary concern, such as schizophrenia or unipolar depression.