|  | Mental Health | Bipolar Disorder

Over Diagnosis of Children With Bipolar Mood Disorder

Between 1994 and 2003 the number of children diagnosed with bipolar disorder increased fortyfold. Over diagnosis is the most probable reason for the jump as possible explanations of the increase are dispelled below.

  1. Fortyfold Increase 1994-2003

    • In 1994 there were approximately 20,000 children under the age of 19 diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In 2003 this number had increased to approximately 800,000. This represents a fortyfold increase in about a decade.

    Suicides Not Increased

    • A heightened risk of suicide is associated with bipolar disorder. Therefore an increase in suicides should have accompanied the fortyfold increase. However, according to research by John L. McIntosh, from 1994-2003 suicide rates among American children dropped by 23 percent.

    Bipolar Over-Diagnosed in Psychiatric Outpatients

    • A study done by Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University found that of 700 psychiatric outpatients, fewer than half that were previously diagnosed bipolar received a bipolar diagnosis according to the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the DSM-IV.

    Pharmaceutical Companies' Bipolar Campaign

    • British psychiatrist David Healy points out that in the 1990s, pharmaceutical companies began drawing attention to bipolar disorder by increasing publication of new journals, establishing bipolar societies and increasing television commercials for new treatments.

    Snowball Effect

    • Increased exposure to bipolar disorder by pharmaceutical companies caused a snowball effect as the more bipolar disorder was put in the spotlight, the more psychiatrists were exposed to it, the higher the diagnosis rate climbed which led to further diagnosing.

Bipolar Disorder - Related Articles