Bipolar disorder can appear in children as young as six years old, although it does not usually develop until a person has reached the teen-age years or early twenties. It has become a controversial diagnosis in recent years with some medical experts believing it to be rare, but being over-diagnosed. But other experts others think that more children and people have it than are being diagnosed with it.
Bipolar disorder is one of the mood disorders recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association. It is when a person has extreme mood swings, either extremely high and full of energy, or very low and depressed. Making a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in young children is very difficult because many of the symptoms are similar to those of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or conduct disorders. One of the problems is that the medications used for ADHD are stimulants, which can trigger mania in children with bipolar disorder. Although diagnosing bipolar disorder is difficult, leaving it unchecked worsens the symptoms and poses serious mental health risks.
Young children who have bipolar disorder are likely to have more serious symptoms than adults. In a manic phase, they might be more irritable and hostile than adults, and they may have psychotic symptoms, hearing and seeing things that aren’t real. When experiencing a depressive episode, they might be more likely to complain of physical symptoms, like aches and pains. One of the most notable differences between bipolar disorder in children and adults is that in children the moods can cycle much more quickly. Within a single day, a child can experience manic and depressive periods, whereas adult episodes may be separated by weeks, months, or years.
Many children who have bipolar disorder are affected differently. The bipolar episodes may vary in frequency, duration and intensity. Children may react differently than adults to the drugs used to control symptoms. When children grow, bipolar disorder may affect the size, shape, and functional ability of brain regions and networks. Some medical research suggests that pediatric bipolar disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder, causing parts of the brain to mature at different rates and times. In a normal person, brain maturation is not complete until age twenty-five or so. Both, the symptoms and the treatment of any mental illness may change as the child grows.
The symptoms of mania in children include: euphoria (elevated mood), silliness or elation that is inappropriate and impairs the child.s ability to participate in activities, feelings of grandiosity, racing thoughts, excessively talkative, irritability or hostility, inability to focus or concentrate, decreased need for sleep without daytime fatigue, over-involvement in pleasurable but risky activities (daredevil acts), poor judgment, hallucinations and psychosis. Diagnosis in children can be hampered because parents may feel these symptoms are simply misbehaviors and not a sign of mental illness.
The symptoms of depression in children include: absence of joy and pleasure in life and activities, withdrawal from activities formerly enjoyed, agitation and irritability, long term sadness and/or crying spells, sleeping too much or inability to sleep, drop in grades or inability to concentrate, significant weight loss, weight gain or change in appetite, fatigue or loss of energy, low self esteem or feelings of worthlessness, and thoughts of death or suicide. Thoughts of suicide are particularly serious. A parent should take suicidal threats seriously. No parent wants to think about their child hurting himself, but unfortunately, it can happen, even with young children. If a child begins to express a desire to die, or engages in life-threatening behavior, parents should seek medical attention right away.