Bipolar Disorder in Children

Intense Emotion or Mood Disorder?

Any parent knows that a child’s mood, behavior, attention, or energy level can change without warning. But sometimes these shifts are not a sign of a child’s developmental level but an indication that a child’s mental health is suffering.

When a child has bipolar disorder, they experience extreme shifts in mood in behaviors that can result in a high, known as a manic episode, or a low, known as a depressive episode. Bipolar disorder is more likely to emerge in the late teen years or in early adulthood, but children can experience it as well. Early diagnosis and treatment are key to helping kids learn how to manage symptoms and succeed in life.