Bipolar Disorder in Children

Abstract

The origins of bipolar disorder date back to ancient Greece, with depression and mania being among the first documented mental illnesses in adults. Historically, bipolar disorder was thought to rarely occur in youth. Recent evidence challenges this notion, as there has been a significant increase in children and adolescents diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder in children remains a controversial topic in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry. Comorbidity with other mental illnesses, diagnostic criteria, and consequent treatment are among the issues smoldering in the international community. The World Health Organization recently listed bipolar spectrum disorders as the fourth leading cause of disability among adolescents in the world. Alarmingly, youth with bipolar spectrum disorder are more likely to engage in self-injurious or suicidal behavior, making proper diagnosis and timely treatment critical. This chapter provides an overview of the diagnostic history, symptomology, associated impairments, developmental course, prognosis, and treatments associated with this disorder. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)