Classified as a manic-depressive illness, pediatric bipolar disorder is one of the hardest psychological illnesses to diagnose in children. The psychological disorder is mainly characterized of mood swings switching from mania to depressive periods of time called episodes. Bipolar episodes in children last for a week or more. Also known as early onset bipolar disorder, it is usually more intense than the typical mood swings of a child or adult-onset bipolar disorder. Pediatric bipolar disorder spans across all socio-economic levels and ethnicities. Linked and similar to many psychological disorders such as depression or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, children who are diagnosed experience an array of endless and ever-changing symptoms.
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Some doctors choose to utilize the FIND acronym to assess the severity of the disorder. In the acronym F stands for frequency, if symptoms occur in a majority of the week, I represents the intensity or severity of symptoms, N accounts for the number of times symptoms appear in a day, and finally D which represents the duration of symptoms, specifically if the symptoms persist over four hours a day. Psychologists may also question the family’s medical history for mental illness because bipolar disorder is heritable. According to the United States National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, “when one parent has bipolar disorder, the risk to each child is l5 to 30 percent”, but “when both parents have bipolar disorder, the risk increases to 50 to 75 percent” and also “risk in identical twins is approximately 70 percent” (Singh). Research has led to many new discoveries about bipolar disorder in children which includes an element of comorbidity in youth. Children with bipolar disorder are at an increased risk for substance abuse problems, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or anxiety
Some doctors choose to utilize the FIND acronym to assess the severity of the disorder. In the acronym F stands for frequency, if symptoms occur in a majority of the week, I represents the intensity or severity of symptoms, N accounts for the number of times symptoms appear in a day, and finally D which represents the duration of symptoms, specifically if the symptoms persist over four hours a day. Psychologists may also question the family’s medical history for mental illness because bipolar disorder is heritable. According to the United States National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, “when one parent has bipolar disorder, the risk to each child is l5 to 30 percent”, but “when both parents have bipolar disorder, the risk increases to 50 to 75 percent” and also “risk in identical twins is approximately 70 percent” (Singh). Research has led to many new discoveries about bipolar disorder in children which includes an element of comorbidity in youth. Children with bipolar disorder are at an increased risk for substance abuse problems, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or anxiety