Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: Underdiagnosed or Fiction?

Author: Sahling, Daniel L.

Source: Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, Volume 11, Number 3, 2009 , pp. 215-228(14)

Publisher: Springer Publishing Company

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Abstract:

Diagnoses of children with pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) have surged in recent years. This article explores three alternative explanations for the increase in these diagnoses: (a) PBD had previously been unrecognized and underdiagnosed by clinicians; (b) the symptoms of PBD are largely a result of iatrogenic effects and side effects of psychostimulant medications, for example, Ritalin and Adderall; and (c) changes to the diagnostic system now classify previously normal behaviors of childhood as symptoms of PBD. After reviewing the evidence, this article concludes that the increase in diagnoses is primarily due to the iatrogenic effects of psychostimulant medications and to the changes to the diagnostic system, and is not a previously unrecognized or underdiagnosed illness of unknown origin.

Keywords: PEDIATRIC BIPOLAR DISORDER; ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS; IATROGENIC; STIMULANTS; MOOD DISORDERS

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/1559-4343.11.3.215

Publication date: 2009-12-01

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Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry seeks to raise the level of scientific knowledge and ethical discourse, while empowering professionals who are devoted to principled human sciences and services unsullied by professional and economic interests.
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