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A prospective study of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents from India
Author(s) -
Srinath S.,
Reddy Y. C. Janardhan,
Girimaji S. R.,
Seshadri S. P.,
Subbakrishna D. K.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1998.tb10116.x
Subject(s) - bipolar disorder , psychology , psychiatry , bipolar illness , pediatrics , juvenile , clinical psychology , medicine , mania , mood , biology , genetics
Bipolar disorder in adults is known to run an episodic course. However, little information exists on the long‐term naturalistic course of bipolar disorder in juvenile populations. The present study was undertaken with the objectives of (i) documenting the rates of recovery and relapse, (ii) identifying the predictors of recovery and relapse and (iii) assessing the rates of comorbid conditions. A total of 30 subjects with onset of bipolar illness (according to DSM‐III‐R criteria) in childhood and adolescence were assessed systematically at baseline and 4 to 5 years later. All 30 subjects (100%) had recovered from their index episodes and none had exhibited chronicity. Twenty of the 30 subjects (67%) had relapsed, with most relapses occurring within 2 years of recovery from index episodes. No predictors of recovery and relapse could be identified. Conduct disorder was the only comorbid diagnosis in two subjects (7%). The main implication of our study, in view of the high rates of relapse in the crucial developmental phase of a young individual, is that long‐term maintenance medication should be considered in juvenile bipolar patients, even if it is a first episode.