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 Archived Content

The National Institute of Mental Health archives materials that are over 4 years old and no longer being updated. The content on this page is provided for historical reference purposes only and may not reflect current knowledge or information.

Twitter Chat on Pediatric Bipolar Disorder

Live Chat

Date: Thursday, October 8, 2015, 1:00 – 2:00 ET
Hashtag: #NIMHchats 

With the ups and downs that come with growing up, it is normal for many children to undergo changes in their mood and behavior. As parents, it may be difficult to tell if your child is just going through a “phase” or if they are showing signs of something more serious. Understanding the changes taking place in the brain during childhood and adolescence presents an opportunity to recognize and intervene early in mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder that have their onset at this time.

Unusual shifts in mood, energy, and activity level may be just part of growing up, but they can in some cases be early signs of bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder symptoms usually develop in the teens or early adult years, but some people have their first symptoms during childhood. Learn more about bipolar disorder at NIMH’s Twitter chat during National Mental Illness Awareness Week. NIMH expert Ken Towbin, M.D., chief, Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Emotion and Development Branch, will be joining the chat to discuss pediatric bipolar disorder and other mood disorders such as severe irritability.

Please follow our tweets on NIMH’s Twitter page . To ask questions, you must have a Twitter account and include the hashtag #NIMHchats   in every tweet.

If you have any questions, please email NIMHpress@nih.gov. See you on Twitter!

View the archived chat.