Bipolar disorder involves unusual shifts in mood, energy, and functioning. It may begin with either manic or depressive symptoms. It is more likely to affect the children of parents who have the disorder. Unlike adults, whose symptoms are acute and episodic, young children often experience rapid mood swings and cycle from depression to mania several times within a day. Children with mania are more likely to be irritable and prone to destructive tantrums than to be elated or euphoric.
Bipolar disorder accounts for a large proportion of children s psychiatric hospitalizations.
Some 20 percent of adolescents with major depression develop bipolar disorder within 5 years of the onset of depression. Teenagers with bipolar disorder display a combination of extremely manic and depressive moods. Highs may alternate with lows, or, for some youths, the moods may change so quickly that the adolescent feels both extremes at almost the same time. Symptoms of bipolar disorder often can be difficult to distinguish from other problems of childhood and adolescence. For example, while irritability and aggressiveness can indicate bipolar disorder, they can also be symptoms of depression or conduct disorder.