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Activities » Factsheet » Bipolar Disorder

2008 Legislation/Education Committee
Fact Sheet

Download 2008 Resolution [PDF]

2008 House of Delegates Resolution: In Support of Increased Awareness of and Evidence-based Research on Bipolar Disorder in the Pediatric Population

  • Bipolar Disorder is defined as a "group of mood disorders that include manic episodes, hypomanic episodes, mixed episodes, depressed episodes, and cyclothymic disorder," according to the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR).
  • There has been a 40-fold increase in the diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder in the pediatric population from 1994-2003, with a concurrent 2-fold increase in the diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder in the adult population (National Institute of Mental Health, 2007.)
  • There is no single, well-validated screening instrument for the clinical diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder in children, and the diagnosis is complicated by differential presentation of symptoms, comorbid mental health disorders, and physical and psychosocial development (Birmaher, 2007; Moreno,2007; National Institute of Mental Health, 2007.)
  • The first-line treatment of Bipolar Disorder is medication, however the pediatric brain is developmentally different from the adult brain and the metabolism of medications differs between these age groups.
  • The efficacy and the safety of mood stabilizers and antipsychotic medications, used as front-line treatment for Bipolar Disorder, have not been examined or well-established in the pediatric population.
  • Evidence-based data regarding the treatment of children and adolescents with Bipolar Disorder are very limited, yet they are still treated in the same manner as adults.

What Can Nursing Students Do?

  • Encourage NSNA members in school chapters and state chapters/associations to collaborate with professional nursing and healthcare organizations to advocate for increased funding toward evidence-based research related to Bipolar Disorder in the pediatric populations;
  • Advocate for accurate screening, diagnosis, and treatment of pediatric patients diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.

Resources:

Birmaher B: Longitudinal course of pediatric bipolar disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2007, 537-539.

Moreno, C., Laje, G., Blanco, C., Jiang, H., Schmidt, A. & Olfson, M. (2007). National trends in the outpatient diagnosis and treatment of Bipolar Disorder in youth. Archives of General Psychiatry, 64(9), 1032-1039.

National Institute of Mental Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health.