Bipolar disorder, the course of which shows alterations between depressive and elated moods, is a chronic psychiatric disorder impairing the patients psychosocial functioning dramatically. Childhood bipolar disorder, which has recently begun to be researched, is a clinical condition that represents some differences than the adult type bipolar disorder. These differences mostly mislead the clinicians and cause diagnostic confusion. Therefore, diagnostic consistency and good understanding of co-morbid disorders are important from the treatment perspective. Particularly the comorbidities and various clinical presentations may prevent clinicians from reaching correct treatment strategies. Diagnostic consistency and comorbidities of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents were reviewed in this article.
Key words: Bipolar disorder, psychiatry, adolescence, childhood, comorbidity
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