Pediatric bipolar disorders: from the perspective of Turkey

In Turkey, there is much controversy and skepticism about the existence of mania in children and adolescents, and a paucity of rigorous data. Despite ongoing controversy, the view that pediatric Bipolar Disorder(BD) is rare or non-existent has been increasingly challenged not only by case reports but also by systematic research.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM) criteria are usually employed in these research studies and case reports and it was strongly suggested that pediatric BD may not be rare but that it may be difficult to diagnose.

In concordance with the current literature, euphoric mood and episodic course is rare in Turkish children and adolescents and the affective phenomenology is often mixed and dysphoric, with affective storms and temper outbursts. Comorbidity (especially with ADHD) is a big issue in accurate diagnosis and treatment.

There are promising treatment studies, but we need more studies in both prepubertal children and adolescents about phenomenology, etiology, and treatment of this important condition.