Quackenbush, D. et al. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 1996 Vol. 41(1): 16-22.

The pre and post illness school functioning of 44 adolescents with adolescent onset bipolar disorder was studied in order to evaluate and describe the changes in school functioning after onset of illness. Assessment measures included a personal interview, review of school history and formal academic testing. The results seem to indicate that good to excellent scholastic functioning before the onset of illness significantly deteriorates after the onset of illness in most adolescents. Marked deterioration appears in work effort, involvement in extracurriculars, academic achievement and peer relationships. Specific program modifications in the school are needed in order to help these adolescents including an open communication between the clinician, parents and the school.Reprinted with the permission of The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry