What other psychiatric disorders commonly accompany bipolar disorder in young patients?

Details

The study investigated the phenomenology—how symptoms present—and psychiatric comorbidity in a clinical sample of children and adolescents with bipolar disorder (BD).

This observational clinical-sample study included young patients being followed after a BD diagnosis at a faculty hospital clinic. Information on the phenomenology and clinical characteristics of mood episodes came from medical records, clinical interviews with patients and parents, and patient follow-up data. Psychiatric assessment used a semi-structured diagnostic interview instrument.

Participants were 19 males (63%) and 11 females (37%), aged 11–18 years (reported age: 14.87±1.94 years). Primary diagnoses were BD type I (n=22; 73%), BD type II (n=3; 10%), and BD–Not Otherwise Specified (n=5; 17%).

More than half (53%) had developed psychotic symptoms—perceptual and/or thought disturbances—during mood episodes. Nine participants (30%) had attempted suicide once or twice.

The frequencies of diagnostic categories in which participants met criteria for at least one disorder were: anxiety disorders (n=28; 93%), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (n=23; 77%), depressive disorders (n=16; 53%), tic disorders (n=15; 50%), oppositional defiant disorder (n=8; 27%), and substance use disorders (n=7; 23%). The authors concluded that pediatric BD may show some developmental differences compared with the adult form of the illness.

They described high psychiatric comorbidity in young people with BD, particularly anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. They recommended careful assessment for co-occurring psychiatric disorders to support differential diagnosis and treatment planning.

Keywords identify the study’s focus as bipolar disorder, mood, children, adolescents, phenomenology or clinical characteristics, and comorbidity.