Bipolar Diagnoses in Younger People Show Huge Increase

(Page 2)

Bipolar disorder is an elusive condition, Axelson said, difficult to pin down because there is no specific diagnostic test.

Until recently, it was easy to miss the first signs of bipolar disorder in a young person, because it often is a mild depressive episode that might not be seen as pathological, Hirsch said. "Irritability and depressive behavior may be a form of bipolar disorder," he added. "A child who has feelings of aggression, irritation and anger may have bipolar disorder."

One reason for the increase in diagnoses is that physicians are becoming aware that such cases do not fit the textbook description, Hirsch said. "I suspect that the majority of cases we are seeing are in that unspecified area. We are still not sure what criteria we should be thinking of when we diagnose bipolar disorder, " he added.

It's important to get the diagnosis right, Axelson said, because some medications prescribed for other conditions could make bipolar disorder worse.

"Physicians should bring greater rigor to bear," Hirsch said. "Parents should be aware there has been this big increase in diagnoses. They should ask why and how such a diagnosis is made and what decisions went into it, and they should know more about the medications."

More information

To learn more about bipolar disorder, visit the National Institute of Mental Health.