Can a child have bipolar disorder?
While bipolar is most recognised in adults and diagnosed in adolescence or adulthood, with 1 in 150 adults having a diagnosis worldwide, signs can be present of bipolar disorder in children.
Recognising these signs can be essential to accessing early intervention and professional support, with early diagnosis and management having the potential to lead to better functioning and well-being long term.
Table of contents
- Understanding bipolar disorder in children
- Signs of bipolar disorder in children
- How is bipolar disorder diagnosed in children?
- Supporting a child with bipolar disorder
- Looking for support?
Understanding bipolar disorder in children
Signs of childhood bipolar disorder may overlap with those of other conditions that are commonly diagnosed in young people, such as ADHD, conduct problems, major depression, and anxiety disorders. But bipolar disorder is not the same as the typical ups and downs every child experiences. The mood changes in bipolar disorder can be more extreme, unexplained, and accompanied by changes in sleep, energy level, and the ability to think clearly.
Diagnosing paediatric bipolar disorder can be complicated and requires a careful and thorough evaluation by a trained, experienced mental health professional. This is an important step as bipolar can make it hard for children to perform well in school or get along with friends and family members, so intervention is key to improving these areas of their wellbeing. Some children and teens with bipolar disorder may try to hurt themselves or attempt suicide, so the risks of leaving the condition undiagnosed and unsupported are evident.
Signs of bipolar disorder in children
While every case is different and no two children will have the exact same presentations of bipolar, the following are common signs seen in children of all ages.
Emotional highs (mania or hypomania)
- Highly inflated sense of self-worth or self-esteem
- Talking quickly and rapidly shifting from one idea to the next
- Having trouble concentrating and being easily distracted
- Decreased need for sleep
- Reckless or risk-taking behaviour, such as substance misuse or harming themselves or others
- Fixed and mistaken beliefs in something untrue, such as believing they are famous or being convinced that they are being spied on
Emotional lows (depression)
- Poor concentration
- Feelings of excessive guilt or low self-worth
- Hopelessness about the future
- Thoughts about dying or suicide
- Disrupted sleep
- Changes in appetite or weight
- Feeling very tired or low in energy
Other possible signs
- An expansive or irritable mood
- Rapidly changing moods lasting a few hours to a few days
- Explosive, lengthy, and often destructive rages
- Separation anxiety
- Defiance of authority
- Hyperactivity, agitation, and distractibility
- Bed wetting and night terrors
- Strong and frequent cravings, often for carbohydrates and sweets
- Excessive involvement in multiple projects and activities
- Inappropriate or precocious sexual behaviour
- Delusions and hallucinations
How is bipolar disorder diagnosed in children?
When seeking a childhood bipolar diagnosis, a child psychiatrist or other experienced mental health professional with expertise in bipolar disorder will ask questions about you child’s mood, sleeping patterns, behaviour, and energy levels. Your provider will also ask for a family history of medical conditions such as depression or substance use.
Other disorders, such as ADHD, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, and anxiety disorders, have signs like those of bipolar disorder. It is important to rule these out in order to receive an accurate diagnosis and this can only be done by an expert. A health care provider who specialises in working with children and teens can carefully evaluate your child’s symptoms to provide an accurate diagnosis.
Supporting a child with bipolar disorder
There is no single way to support a child with bipolar but, once a diagnosis has been offered, there are plenty of steps to support and manage their experiences to ensure they have an improved quality of life day-to-day.
Professional treatment options
Treatment for bipolar disorder in children can be offered through a variety of means, whether that’s one of many medications that can be commonly prescribed to manage presentations of the condition such as to combat mood swings or focus, or through talking therapies that can help a child to manage their symptoms more effectively. The management plan for your child will be worked out with a medical professional, with potential side effects of medications, suitability for their lifestyle, and independent factors considered to ensure the best possible care.
Home support strategies
Alongside management options offered by mental health services, there are some ways to support your child at home, such as:
- Maintaining consistent routines for stability
- Encouraging healthy sleep patterns
- Mood monitoring activities to help a child understand their emotions
- Understanding triggers and learning strategies for managing intense emotions and irritability
- Giving your child support and emotional validation, fostering judgement-free communication around feelings
- Encouraging healthy lifestyle habits such as exercise, healthy eating, and time or activities to reduce stress
School support
When a child receives a diagnosis, it’s important to establish collaboration with teachers and school counsellors. Speaking to your child’s school about their needs and any accommodations they may benefit from can have a transformative impact on your child’s performance and well-being in school.
Accommodations may include the following:
- Accommodation for late arrival due to sleep issues
- Extra time to complete assignments
- Creating attainable goals for the child to empower them to achieve
- Anticipating and creating action plans for school avoidance
- Understanding of potential medication side-effects and how these can be supported discretely
- Creating a safe space or plan to allow the child to exit overwhelming situations or deescalate conflicts if needed
Looking for support?
If you’re concerned that your child is showing signs of bipolar disorder and wanted support, you can explore our options for psychiatric assessments.
To talk privately and confidentially to one of our trained professionals about the support you or a child may need, contact us on 0203 326 9160 or fill out our form to request a call-back at a time that suits you.
Related articles
Identifying the different types of bipolar disorder
How to spot the symptoms of bipolar disorder in children
Clinically reviewed
- Dr Andrea Pickering