According to a recent study the number of children and adolescents treated for Bipolar Disorder has increased from 20,000 in 1994 to 800,000 in 2003. This is a 40 fold increase that is certain to have grown substantially since 2003. This represents about 1 percent of the general population under the age of 20. Some argue that Bipolar is the new and latest mental health fad much like ADD/ADHD was in the 90’s. The controversy surrounding pediatric bipolar is in part due to the difficulty and subjectivity of the diagnosis itself. Bipolar is characterized by fluctuating and extreme mood swings but the clinical picture in children is difficult to sort out because there is often no consistent pattern. If you’re interested in understanding pediatric biploar visit the site www.bpkids.org. This is a fantastic educational resource. I am sure there will be much more for us to learn about its diagnosis and treatment especially since the first research study regarding pediatric bipolar did not appear until 1995. Until then clinicians were led to believe it was a disorder affecting adults only. The dramatic rise in diagnoses can certainly be attributed to mental health professionals and doctors ability to understand and identify the symptoms more accurately and with more clarity. While others suggest its the latest fad fueled by the deep pockets of drug companies. Read Benedict Carey’s New York Times article at
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/04/health/04psych.html?_r=1&ex=1189569600&en=e84d4b6fb4380ff7&ei=5070&emc=eta1&oref=slogin
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/04/health/04psych.html?_r=1&ex=1189569600&en=e84d4b6fb4380ff7&ei=5070&emc=eta1&oref=slogin