Study: Symptoms of mania in young children linked to ADHD and disruptive behavior disorder

By Staff Writer

A recent study reveals that children with elevated symptoms of mania (ESM) are far more likely to meet the criteria for disruptive behavior disorder (DBD) than for bipolar spectrum disorder (BSD).

The Longitudinal Assessment of Manic Symptoms (LAMS) study involved 621 kids, ages six to 12, who have ESM, according to OnMedica.com. Researchers found that 53 percent of the children were diagnosed with other DBDs, while only 25 percent met criteria for BPD.

Approximately 76 percent of the kids who have manic episodes were diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study also showed that adolescents with BPD have lower overall functioning and more psychiatric hospitalizations than other children with ESM.

The study will follow the sample patients over the next five years to determine if BPD can develop later in adolescence or adulthood. A doctor who contributed to the research theorized that the presence of ESM may represent severe pathology rather than BPD, according to the news source.

According to FamilyFirstAid.org, teenagers who suffer from BPD may deny that they are having severe mood swings, such as harsh bouts of depression. Signs that a child is experiencing mania include poor performance in school, drug and alcohol use, self-destructive behaviors and isolation.