Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 29, 2026

Developing a Rat Model for Bipolar Disorder
Published on: May 2, 2025
Psychopathology in the adolescent offspring of bipolar parents
Catrien G Reichart1, Marjolein Wals, Manon H J Hillegers
1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Sophia Children's Hospital/Erasmus University Rotterdam, Dr Molewaterplein 60, 3015 GH Rotterdam, The Netherlands. reichart@psyd.azr.nl
Background:
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and 14-months incidence of psychopathology in adolescent offspring of a bipolar parent.
Method:
Parent, teacher and self-report rating scales and Kiddie-SADS were used to assess 132 13-23-year-old offspring of bipolar parents.
Results:
Compared to the general population, there were few differences between rating scale scores for bipolar offspring and problem scores for normative adolescents. Of the sample 49% had a lifetime psychiatric disorder, most commonly (33%) a mood disorder.
Limitations:
There was no suitable control group and there are no comparison data for psychiatric diagnoses (DSM-IV), based on semi-structured interviews in the adolescent age group in the Netherlands.
Conclusions:
The overall level of psychopathology of bipolar offspring was not particularly elevated, but when there were more problems, they tended to be mood disorders.
Related Concept Videos
Bipolar Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder
Genetic and Environmental Contributions
Borderline Personality...
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and...
Human Genetics
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
