With the hike in diagnosing bipolar disorder, and prescribing drugs for kids, researchers wanted to know the circumstances in which these decisions were made. Researchers reviewed 1.3 million insurance claims for youth under the age of 17, and report their findings in the August issue of Psychiatric Services. Findings include:
•A diagnosis of disruptive behavior often preceded a diagnosis of bipolar disorder;
•More males than females were diagnosed with bipolar disorder;
•Overlapping mental health problems were present (eg., anxiety disorders, depression) for which they were being treated prior to a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
Recent controversy has focused on prescribing patterns for children with bipolar disorder and questions about the accuracy of the diagnosis. Authors do not address these questions explicitly. They do, however, note that one of the limitations of their study might include the use of medical claims rather than the accuracy of the diagnosis or changes in symptoms leading to it.
