ADOLESCENT BIPOLAR DISORDER - A 9-YEAR EXPERIENCE

The clinical records of 53 adolescent inpatients diagnosed with bipola r disorder were re-evaluated to examine their profiles and differentia l diagnoses. Seventy-two percent satisfied DSM-III-R Bipolar Disorder criteria and most presented with manic or mixed mood symptoms. Half we re psychotic. Non-affective psychosis, unipolar depression, organic sy ndromes and disruptive behavioral disorders complicated the differenti al diagnoses, particularly among younger boys. The well-documented bip olars were characterized by affective symptoms prior to the first admi ssion and shorter hospitalizations than the remaining subjects. A rece nt trend towards overdiagnosis of bipolar disorder is suggested in som e patients.