Bipolar disorder in children and adolescents is a psychiatric disorder that occurs during periods of mania and depression and is usually diagnosed in adulthood. However, it is determined that approximately 50 and 60 percent of patients' complaints begin during adolescence. The causes of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents may not be recognized due to the changes observed during these age periods. It is necessary to get help from a good specialist for the treatment of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents.
Since bipolar disorder in children can cause dangerous situations for the person and his/her environment, hospitalization may be required during these periods.
Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder in Children and Adolescents
Bipolar disorder is also commonly referred to as "manic depressive illness". It is a chronic illness that can have clinical features such as a tendency to engage in pleasurable activities that can be dangerous. In this disease, significant deterioration in a person's emotional state can be observed. Bipolar disorder in children and adolescents has almost similar symptoms.
This disease, known as manic depressive, has different periods within itself. In the period defined as manic; symptoms such as excessive mobility, flight of ideas, rapid flight of thoughts, an exaggerated increase in self-esteem, being more talkative than usual or holding conversations and sleeping less can be seen.
The changes experienced by a person in a manic episode can be recognized immediately by the people around them, because this situation is quite different from the ups and downs experienced in daily life. Bipolar disorder in children, in the process defined as depressive state; It is a sudden and intense state of sadness and unhappiness that develops independently of any life event.
He/she has difficulty focusing on his/her studies, cannot sustain his/her attention, and cannot feel rested no matter how long he/she sleeps. In some cases, both mania and depressive episodes may be observed together. This condition can be referred to as mixed or mixed state.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents can be listed as follows:
- Anger outbursts
- Flight of ideas
- Decreased need for sleep
- Increased grandiosity (grandiosity thinking)
- Increased amount of speech or pressurized speech
- Increase in purposeful activities
Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder in Children and Adolescents
In the diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents, it is very important to make a diagnosis after a careful and good clinical examination. The most common reason for the diagnosis is manic episodes. Depressive episodes are seen as manic episodes and hypomanic episodes.
The person who has a manic episode speaks much more and faster than normal. The flow of thoughts is very fast but unconnected, he/she sleeps little but feels very energetic, feels very cheerful and strong even if there is no reason to explain, thinks that he/she can be enough for everything, can make big decisions without thinking about the consequences, and sometimes suddenly gets angry and shows aggressive behavior.
The change in the person's behavior during a manic episode is so pronounced that hospitalization is often necessary. Sometimes these symptoms are milder and this is called a "hypomanic episode".
In addition to manic and hypomanic episodes, depressive episodes also occur in bipolar disorder. In depressive episodes, the person is unhappy and depressed for no apparent reason, has low energy, has difficulty concentrating, if he/she is a student, his/her academic success decreases, sleep quality deteriorates and he/she does not feel rested no matter how much sleep he/she gets.
The illness is characterized by attacks, sometimes manic, sometimes depressive, and sometimes mixed attacks with symptoms of both. The person can return to his/her previous level of functioning in periods other than attacks.
How is Bipolar Disorder in Children and Adolescents Treated?
In the treatment of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents, medication and psychotherapy methods are usually applied together. In difficult cases, more than one medication may be recommended by the specialist. Regular use of the prescribed medication constitutes the first step of treatment.
Antidepressant medication can trigger manic depression. For this reason, antidepressant medication should be used with care and caution in children diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
With psychotherapy, which should be carried out together with medication, the child or adolescent can continue his/her daily life. It is also recommended to provide psychoeducation for the family and teachers at certain intervals to take a healthier path.
In order for the treatment to be effective, psychotherapies can be applied to use motivational functions for the continuation of the treatment and to develop coping skills.
