September 6, 2007

Families Of Children With Bipolar Disorder Call For More
Research Into This Devastating Illness

Study Results are a National Wake-Up
Call for Further Research

WILMETTE, IL, -- The Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (CABF) calls for further research on pediatric bipolar disorder following the release of a study that reveals a 40-fold increase in the diagnosis of this devastating illness in the past ten years. The study, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry [Sept 2007], is a national wake-up call: “Children have been suffering from bipolar disorder all along, just like adults, but science has recognized this only for the past decade or so.  In the 21st century, children are being diagnosed and treated when they were previously dismissed as 'bad seeds' or the product of poor parenting,” states Susan Resko, M.M., Executive Director of CABF.    

The study reveals that in 1994, very few doctors wished to label children as bipolar (25 bipolar diagnoses per 100,000 people). Yet even the 40-fold increase rate in 2003 (1,003 bipolar diagnoses per 100,000 people) is still well below the rate of bipolar disorder for adults (1,679 bipolar diagnoses per 100,000 people). 

We now know from the extensive NIMH Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program-Bipolar Disorder study that bipolar disorder often begins in childhood: about 65 percent of adults with bipolar disorder described the onset of symptoms before age 19. Clearly, we need more research on how to treat the illness at its onset.  Children express symptoms differently than adults and their bodies metabolize medications differently than adults. “Catching and treating the illness when it emerges in childhood can prevent decades of suffering and even save lives,” states Resko.  “Suicide is the third leading cause of death among teens and young adults, and the risk of suicide in people with mood disorders is dramatically increased.”  

“Although controversy exists about how best to assess and diagnose children who have severe symptoms of mood instability, aggression, and inattention, it is clear that these children and their family members suffer mightily. Over the past decade these children have increasingly been diagnosed as having 'pediatric bipolar disorder'  Most experts would agree that this diagnostic label does not identify a single discrete illness, but rather identifies children who suffer from a broad spectrum of conditions with various genetic and environmental contributions evident. While we have made progress in understanding these children we still have a lot to learn about how best to diagnose, treat, and support the individuals and families who suffer from these conditions.  The paper by Drs. Moreno and Olfson is important because it focuses attention on our most vulnerable and needy children. The fact that the controversy over the diagnosis still exists is a good thing as it will almost certainly drive more research into the cause, course, and treatment of children with these debilitating disorders. ” explains Jim Hudziak, M.D.,  CABF Professional Advisory Chair and Professor of Psychiatry, Medicine, and Pediatrics and the Vermont Center for Children, Youth, and Families at University of Vermont College of Medicine. 

Some people unfamiliar with the plight of families raising children with bipolar disorder mistakenly link the increase in the diagnosis to assumed efforts by the pharmaceutical industry to encourage clinicians to look for the illness in children. However, “at CABF, we don’t see supply-side tactics.  Instead we see the demands of tens of thousands of families each month who are desperately trying to help their children.  Parents demand for treatment is the chief factor for the increase in diagnosis.” explains Resko. “No responsible or rational parent wants to put their child on psychiatric medications which can have dangerous side effects.  It’s the lesser of two evils, the alternative being increased risk for school failure, substance abuse, legal difficulties, or suicide,” states Lisa Pedersen, M.A., CABF Vice-Chair.  

CABF urges families affected by pediatric bipolar disorder to join us in advocating for more research on the illness.  Bipolar disorder is a highly heritable brain illness that affects an individual’s ability to regulate mood, energy, behavior, and thinking.  CABF has 25,000 constituents across the country and receives 35,000 unique visitors to its website each month.  CABF was established in 1999 to educate, support, and advocate for families raising children with bipolar disorder.   

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CABF is a national, not-for-profit organization of families raising children diagnosed with, or at risk for, bipolar disorder.  Its Web site, www.bpkids.org, provides information and support, including online support, advocacy tools, and a library of the latest research on pediatric bipolar disorder.  For more information, visit CABF’s Web sites at www.bpkids.org or http://www.depressedteens.com/.

CONTACT: For more information, contact CABF at cabf@bpkids.org or 847-492-8519.