PREMORBID AND POSTMORBID SCHOOL FUNCTIONING IN BIPOLAR ADOLESCENTS - DESCRIPTION AND SUGGESTED ACADEMIC INTERVENTIONS

Objective: This study was designed to describe and evaluate the manner in which changes in school functioning are associated with bipolar af fective disorder (BAD) in adolescence. Method: Pre- and post-illness o nset school functioning data were collected from a sample of 44 adoles cents with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of BAD. A variety of assessment measu res were used, including personal interview a review of school history and formal academic testing. Results: Our findings reveal an overall profile of generally good to excellent premorbid school functioning in most adolescent onset bipolar patients, which subsequently shows mark ed deterioration along several dimensions (work effort, academic achie vement, peer relationships and extracurricular involvement) following BAD onset. Conclusions: Onset of bipolar illness in adolescence negati vely impacts on the teenager's ability to function effectively in the school environment. Specific program modifications are required in ord er to optimize the bipolar teenager's success at school. These are ide ntified and discussed.