The effect of juvenile-onset manic-depressive disorder on the developmental tasks of adolescence

The impact on the individual of manic-depressive disorder can be devastating. This is most evident in adolescence, an epoch during which many cases first declare themselves. Adolescence is a crucial developmental phase during which confidence, initiative, and sociability are consolidated. Core symptoms of manic-depressive disorder involve all these functions, and appropriate adolescent development can be further undermined by the knowledge that these same functions can be driven out of control by the illness. An illustrative case of an articulate young lady suffering from manic-depression is described, and her feelings about the uncertainty introduced into her life by the illness are compellingly presented in a poem. The major implication of our observations is that adolescent-onset manic-depressives need not be burdened additionally by developmental arrest or delay. They frequently need psychotherapy to adjust to the handicap of their illness.