MONDAY, March 2, 2009 (Health.com) — Children and teens who have a parent with bipolar disorder are 14 times more likely than their peers to have bipolar-like symptoms themselves and are two to three times more likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety or mood disorder, such as depression, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
When both parents are bipolar, children are 3.6 times more likely to have bipolar disorder than children with only one parent with the psychiatric condition.
Bipolar disorder, which is also known as manic-depressive illness, affects 5.7 million people over age 18 in the United States. The condition is characterized by extreme fluctuations in energy, mood, and the ability to function. For example, someone experiencing an “episode” may have a manic state of euphoria for a period of time, followed by a bout of severe depression.
Although bipolar disorder may run in families, children of bipolar parents won’t necessarily develop the condition.
“I don’t want parents to think, ‘I have bipolar, so my kids have bipolar,’” says Boris Birmaher, MD, of the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh, Penn., and author of the new study, called the Pittsburgh Bipolar Offspring Study. “Yes, these kids are at a higher risk, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your child will have it.”
In the study, Dr. Birmaher and colleagues looked at 233 parents with bipolar disorder and their 388 children, ages 6 to 18. They were compared to a control group of 143 parents and 251 children with no family history of the condition.
Overall, 10.6% of the children with a bipolar parent had signs of a bipolar spectrum disorder (which includes a range of symptoms from severe to mild) or a mood or anxiety disorder. In comparison, only two children, or 0.8%, in the control group had such symptoms.
It’s not clear if genes, environment, or a combination of both are responsible for the link, or possibly greater awareness and diagnosis of psychiatric conditions in bipolar families.
However, Dr. Birmaher says identifying the condition at an earlier age may ultimately help young people. “The longer you wait, the more complicated the condition could become,” Dr. Birmaher says. Previous studies have suggested that it can take 10 years of symptoms before people get a correct diagnosis and proper treatment. “Ten years is a long time—especially in the life of a child,” he says.
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Comments (3)
Of course this is true. Numerous studies and research have validated the conclusion alluded to in the article.
I am the child of a bipolar Mother. a non willing to admit bi-polar mother. I grew up thinking I was crazy. When I turned 22 I put myself into therapy only to find out I was anxiety ridden and having chronic panic attacks. I thought it was normal. I thought thats who I was. Therapy was the best thing I ever did for myself. If only more parents, aunts, uncles, friends of children with parents who suffer from bi-polar disorder or manic depression paid more attention to the children and their mental state we could lower the risk and outcome of suffering children/ adults.
I was lucky…my brothers were not. one is bipolar and one suffers from depression and anger issues.
all children smile. but not all children are happy.
pay attention.
My mother is bipolar and I thing that I might be also. What can I do to find out if I am. Is there a test I can take to determine before I go to my doctors I yes how do I get one so I can take it.