Percentage of Bipolar Among Adolescents

Bipolar disorder, if untreated, causes its sufferers to alternate between periods of depression and lethargy and manic periods of excitability, insomnia and restlessness. Research on bipolar disorder has largely focused on adults, but this has changed in the past decade.

Significance

• According to a study by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), approximately 1 percent of adolescents between ages 14 and 18 have bipolar disorder.

Considerations

• Bipolar disorder in teens and children is often more severe than in adults. Early onset of the disorder suggests increased symptoms and greater resistance to treatment.

Warning

• Teens with bipolar disorder are more susceptible to self-injury, impulsive or aggressive acts and substance abuse. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among this group according to the Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation.

Treatment

• Both psychotherapy and medication can be effective in treating adolescents with bipolar disorder. NIMH suggests that a "daily life chart" could be useful in tracking a teenager's mood, behavior and sleep patterns.

Trends

• A 2007 study by the National Institutes of Health suggests that the rate at which adolescents are being diagnosed with bipolar disorder is climbing rapidly.