- Contents
- Introduction
- What is bipolar disorder?
- What are the signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents?
- How does bipolar disorder affect children and adolescents differently than adults?
- How is bipolar disorder detected in children and adolescents?
- What illnesses often co-exist with bipolar disorder in children and adolescents?
- What treatments are available for children and adolescents with bipolar disorder?
- Medications
- Psychotherapy
- What can children and adolescents with bipolar disorder expect from treatment?
- Where can families of children with bipolar disorder get help?
- What if my child is in crisis?
- Citations
- For more information on bipolar disorder
How does bipolar disorder affect children and adolescents differently than adults?
Bipolar disorder that starts during childhood or the early teen years is called early-onset bipolar disorder, and seems to be more severe than the forms that first appear in older teens and adults.6 Youth with bipolar disorder are different from adults with bipolar disorder. Young people with the illness appear to have more frequent mood switches, are sick more often, and have more mixed episodes.7
Watch out for any sign of suicidal thinking or behaviors. Take these signs seriously. On average, people with early-onset bipolar disorder are at greater risk for attempting suicide than those whose symptoms start in adulthood.8,9 One large study on bipolar disorder in children and teens found that more than one-third of study participants made at least one serious suicide attempt.10 Some suicide attempts are carefully planned and others are not. Either way, it is important to understand that suicidal feelings and actions are symptoms of an illness that must be treated.
For more information on suicide, see the NIMH publication, Suicide in America: Frequently Asked Questions.
Note on Misdiagnosis: Chronic Irritability and ADHD
Children with chronic, severe irritability and symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be misdiagnosed as having bipolar disorder. However, researchers believe that it is more appropriate to label these types of symptoms as severe mood dysregulation (SMD). Evidence suggests that SMD should not be considered a form of bipolar disorder. Studies show that children with SMD differ from children with bipolar disorder in a number of ways.11,12,13 For example, children with SMD do not tend to develop manic episodes as they age, while children with bipolar disorder do develop mania. Rather, children with SMD are more at risk for developing anxiety disorders or depression.14 In addition, children with bipolar disorder tend to have strong family histories of bipolar disorder, but children with SMD do not.15 More recently, imaging studies have shown that children with SMD differ from those with bipolar disorder in the way their brains process facial emotions and manage attention.16,17
It is important to determine if a child has bipolar disorder or a different illness to ensure he or she gets the appropriate treatment.
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