What Is Childhood Bipolar Disorder?

In conclusion: the intellectual intervention did significantly better than the control. Looking at individual questions in the different cases of pediatric bipolar disorder could help rule out incorrect diagnoses in the future and save lots of time on both the patient’s side and health professional’s side as well. (1) The purpose of this study was to examine how often pediatric bipolar disorder goes misdiagnosed or undiagnosed, since it is very common for that to happen. Bipolar disorder shares many symptoms with other mental illness, and in children, it is even easier to misdiagnose these symptoms that are

Manic depression disorder, more commonly known today as bipolar disorder, is a mental illness that can affect any age, race, or gender. It is not prejudiced, and has a grim prognosis if the symptoms are not treated or controlled in some fashion. Bipolar disorder is, by Boris Birmaher as the presence of recurrent episodes of mania or hypomania with and without episodes of depression (Birmaher, 2013). As explained by Hockenbury and Hockenbury, a manic episode can be sudden and escalates the emotional state of the individual causing them to have extreme euphoria, as well as more excitement, physical energy, and a more rapid thought and speech process. A depressive episode can also come on suddenly and leaves the individual in a lost state, where they are tired, and no longer find enjoyment from activities that they once loved and could lead to suicidal thoughts or actions (Hockenbury & Hockenbury, 2014). A person does not mentally mature fully until about the age of 25. Meaning that a 25 year old has different brain processes than a 10 year old. Because of this, there have been many studies conducted on the controversy between whether or not bipolar disorder should be diagnosed in children and adolescents.

Bipolar disorder is a manic-depressive lifelong illness in the brain that causes shifts in mood, energy, activity, and the ability to carry out normal tasks, but efficient treatment helps people to manage these complications and normalize their daily lives. This illness is a very serious mental disease affecting about 2.6 percent of adults in the United States that has the power to cause risky behavior and even suicidal tendencies if not treated (www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml). It is more common in older teens and young adults, but it affects children as young as six years old. It affects men and women, all races, ethnic groups, and socioeconomic classes equally but women experience more periods of depression than

The DSM-5(2013) section on Bipolar and related disorders includes diagnoses for Bipolar I disorder, Bipolar II disorder, cyclothymic disorder, substance/medication induced bipolar and related disorder, bipolar and related disorder due to another medical condition, other specified bipolar and related disorder and unspecified bipolar and related disorder there is no classification for pediatric or early onset bipolar disorder. Though there is the following statement “the recognition that many individuals, particularly children and, to a lesser extent, adolescents, experience bipolar-like phenomenon that do not meet the criteria for bipolar I, bipolar II, or cyclothymic disorder is reflected in the availability of the other specified bipolar and related category. Indeed, specific criteria for a disorder involving short-duration hypomania are provided in Section III in the hope of encouraging further study of this disorder.” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) . For DSM-5(2013) diagnosis purposes pediatric bipolar disorder would seem to fall under 296.89 Other Specified Bipolar and Related Disorders presentation 3 which is Hypomanic episode without prior major depressive episode. This presentation describes clients who have had one or more manic episodes but has not met the full criteria for a major depressive or manic episode. Fristad & MacPherson (2014) discuss that Bipolar disorder once was thought to be a disorder of adulthood but recently research has suggested

For an episode to be categorized as manic, the patients’ mood has been irritable or abnormally elevated for at least 1 week. A person must also exhibit at least 3 of the following symptoms (4 if the mood is only irritable): extreme feelings of personal greatness; a decreased need for sleep, marked talkativeness; distractibility; extreme focus on a goal-directed activity; reports of ‘racing’ thoughts or a flight of ideas; or excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (i.e. sexual indiscretions or unintelligent business investments). As in the criteria for a depressed episode, the DSM-IV specifies that these symptoms should not be better explained as being a side effect of a drug or illness to qualify as a manic episode. These symptoms must interfere with the person’s normal functioning and must not meet the criteria for a mixed episode. As with adults, childhood-onset bipolar disorder has many faces. Children with Bipolar I Disorder have episodes of mania and episodes of depression, sometimes there are long periods of normal moods between episodes. Adults usually tend to have more depressed episodes than manic episodes. However, some children will have chronic mania (symptoms of mania lasting for long periods of time or marked by frequent recurrence) and seldom experience a depressed episode.

Bipolar disorder is an affliction that affects many Americans. Children who live with parents who have this disorder often are neglected. Children are often not able to have a voice within their homes. The quality of life, emotional stability and childhood necessities are impacted by children raised by bipolar parents.

I became curious about Bipolar Disorder after learning about how this disorder manifests and how much of a range from highs to lows a person can experience with this disorder. In fact, more than 5 million people in the United States have bipolar disorder and about one third of the cases of bipolar disorder begin in adolescence, which means it can begin in childhood, too. The disorder is really difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are relatively common, so suffering individuals will often ignore the symptoms. Bipolar disorder is caused by lack of stability, and can be diagnosed if someone has rapid alternation between manic and depression symptoms. The movie “Mean Girls” (2004) shows how teenage girls change and feel in their social development during their adolescence at school. The characters have many psychological problems, and one of the characters, Gretchen Wieners, has bipolar disorder. Some parts of the movie show that she has taken both sides of an elevated and depressed mood, which fits the description of bipolar disorder, also referred to as ‘manic depression.’ So the movie “Mean Girls” portrays bipolar disorder well in that its symptoms of mania and depression were well matched to the behaviors of character Gretchen Wieners.

Bipolar disorder is unique by means of disorderly dramatic mood shifts that alternate among depressed lows and elation (mania). Manic symptoms can consist of: irritation, anger, elevated liveliness; swift talking and feelings, decrease necessity for sleep, elevated sense of arrogance, trouble concentrating, distressed judgment, amplified irresponsibility (frequently concerning money, drugs, alcohol, or sex). Bipolar disorder afflicts up to 10 million people in the United States and is the fifth leading cause of disability worldwide. The disorder affects males and females equally. Bipolar disorder can occur at any time although the disease typically presents before age 35. Persons between the ages of 15 and 25 years have the utmost risk of developing this disorder. However, the impediment amid the initial signs and symptoms of the disorder and appropriate diagnosis and treatment is often ten

In this paper, I will present a case study in which I will describe the struggles of living with an adolescent diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I will discuss the case, the family relationships, the causes and diagnosis, and the treatment options currently available to those with bipolar disorder in general. The purpose of my paper is to make the reader aware of what goes on in the life of an adolescent with bipolar disorder type II.

The World Health Organization states that over 60 million people worldwide have bipolar disorder. According to several studies, a significant proportion of the children and adolescents with depression may actually be experiencing the early onset of adolescent bipolar disorder, but have not yet experienced the manic phase of the illness. It is also suspected that a significant number of children diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD) actually have early-onset bipolar disorder instead of or alongside of ADHD. For example, an elementary school age child who seems difficult to settle in a classroom and cannot concentrate or refuses to do so might actually be showing the first adolescent bipolar disorder signs.”

The Diagnostic Statistical Manual has added a new diagnosis to its fifth addition in hopes to correct the misdiagnosing of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder in children (Margulies et al.). In less than a decade, the rates of Bipolar Disorder diagnosis in children and adolescents in the United States of America has increased 40-fold in both inpatient and outpatient settings (Rao). The reality is that most of these diagnoses are false because children with severe irritability are unlikely to also exhibit manic or hypomanic episodes (Lochman). Bipolar disorders incorporate both “poles” meaning both severe irritability and manic or hypomanic episodes. Contrarily, the new diagnosis of Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder is unipolar in the sense

The onset of bipolar disorder is usually in late adolescence or early adulthood (7). It is possible for both children and adolescents to develop the disease as well. This usually happens when there is a family history for the disease. Children afflicted by bipolar disorder are usually more irritable and destructive during their manic states and are more prone to mixed states (9). It is even harder to diagnose bipolar disorder in children because it is often confused with other problems that occur at a younger age such as attention deficit disorder, conduct disorder, major depression, or schizophrenia (9).