The theme of the current issue of Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly, a publication from Simon Fraser University’s Children’s Health Policy Centre, is diagnosing and treating childhood bipolar disorder. Articles include:
• A basic guide to bipolar disorder: What is bipolar disorder? How common is it? And what can be done to help children who have it? Answers to the most commonly asked questions.
• What do the numbers tell us? One study found a fortyfold increase in childhood bipolar diagnoses between 1994 and 2004. Two conflicting explanations for this dramatic rise in rates are examined.
• Prescription for a delicate balancing act. Children with bipolar disorder need medication that is safe and effective—but every medication carries some risk. High-quality studies are discussed.
To read the issue online, go to www.childhealthpolicy.sfu.ca/research_quarterly_08/rq-pdf/RQ-3-08-Summer.pdf.
