As medical science and psychological science have learned more about the brain, mental illness and treatments, it's not wholly surprising that the diagnosis of bipolar disorders in children has risen dramatically in recent years.
But from a treatment standpoint, there is considerable debate how best to treat children with these disorders. Some of the drugs prescribed for adult bipolar disorder are not available or appropriate for pediatric patients. And among the adult population, there are a variety of treatment strategies, which have varying degrees of success.
Yet, a 40 percent increase in bipolar diagnoses among children between 1994 and 2003 is cause for further investigation. While much can be attributed to improvement in science's ability to diagnose this disorder, there is some concern that the term has become a catch-all applied to any explosive, aggressive child. There are also concerns regarding the proven benefits of psychiatric drugs in children. Other experts are unsure whether diagnoses of bipolar disorder in children as young as 6 years old are accurate.
Parents who suspect their child may have a mental illness should ask a lot of questions of psychiatrists, their family physician and mental health professionals. Children are not miniature adults, so treatments appropriate for adults are not necessarily helpful to children. Parents and practitioners need to weigh the benefits of pharmaceutical treatment against known side effects of the drugs. Some experts believe that psychological treatment can help boost the effectiveness of drugs by promoting better personal routines and teaching better coping mechanisms.
Meanwhile, researchers are conducting research with treatments for other disorders — ranging from seasickness patches to the breast cancer drug Tamoxifen — for their potential use in treating bipolar disorder. Some depressed patients said undergoing brain scans for a study of their brain chemistry helped lift their depression. These are fascinating findings and provide a glimmer of hope for those who struggle with chronic brain diseases.
Hopefully, news reports of the increase in bipolar disorder diagnoses in children will further the discussion of these issues and bolster research to develop more effective treatments. The worst outcome of these reports would be for parents who have a struggling child to not seek help.