What Is a Childhood Bipolar Disorder
April 7 2010.
Formerly known as manic depression, bipolar disorder is believed to be greatly under-diagnosed, particularly in children. This mental health condition is less well-known than other more common forms of mental health problems such as anxiety and eating disorders and sadly as a result those who would benefit greatly from receiving professional treatment are often unable to access such care.
Following an appointment with the family doctor, if he or she suspects that one's child is possibly suffering from bipolar disorder the meeting will usually result in a referral to child and adolescent mental health services for an assessment or evaluation.
Who May Evaluate a Child?
The most likely person to be primarily involved in undertaking an evaluation of a child believed to be suffering from bipolar disorder is a specially trained child psychiatrist. Psychiatrists are those who are also medical doctors and can thus prescribe psychiatric medications.
In some cases where long waiting lists are an issue, a child may initially be seen by a child psychologist or general practitioner who has a great deal of experience in mental health care.
What Does an Evaluation for Childhood Bipolar Disorder Involve?
An evaluation will usually take around 45 minutes to an hour to complete, although a doctor may require to regularly see the child over a period of time in order to make an accurate diagnosis. The evaluation will differ depending on the individual doctor involved, but most will involve taking the child's medical history, recording current symptoms, questions about how the child functions in different environments.