The diagnosis of bipolar has risen fortyfold in children and adolescents

The diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents has risen fortyfold since 1994, according to a study released Monday. But researchers partly attributed the dramatic rise to doctors over-diagnosing the serious psychiatric disorder.

The report in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry said bipolar disorder was found in 1,003 of every 100,000 office visits from children and adolescents in 2002-03, compared with 25 of 100,000 office visits in 1994-95.

The diagnosis of bipolar disorder among adults increased twofold during the same period, researchers said.

The study didn't investigate the reasons for the sudden rise in bipolar cases among children and adolescents. A book published in 2000, "The Bipolar Child," made the controversial assertion that one-third to one-half of children with depression had bipolar disorder.

Effective talk therapy not available enough for bipolar patients

Psychological therapy can greatly boost the effectiveness of drugs in treating bipolar disorder, but these specialized talk therapies aren't as widely available as they should be, experts say.

Second Centreville meeting to start Sept. 17

A second weekly meeting at Centreville United Methodist Church for those who have bipolar will begin meeting on Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in Room 218. The meeting, known as Centreville Bipolar Support Group I, will be held each Monday and is designed to be smaller gathering and to help with overcrowding in the Tuesday night meetings, which will continue to be held each Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the same room.

The Monday night meetings will be a trial for the next three months, and at that time it will be determined whether they will be continued into the future. A facilitator, or facilitators, have not been announced for the Monday meeting yet. If you are interested, write Jayson Blair at jayson@jayson-blair.com.

Woodbridge group now focuses on bipolar and depression; begins meeting each week

The Woodbridge group has changed its name to the Woodbridge Support Group and will begin accepting participants who suffer from depression as well as those with bipolar.
The support group, which has grown rapidly since beginning in July, also will begin meeting each week starting Sept. 5.

The group is expanding its mission beyond those with bipolar due to the lack of support groups for those with depression in southern and eastern Prince William County.
Members of the group overwhelmingly have said that they would like to see the group meet more often than the every other week schedule the group was on before Sept. 5.

If you have any questions about the Woodbridge Support Group, feel free to contact Mike at woodbridge@dbsanova.org.

Intensive psychosocial rehab helps depressed bipolar patients

Psychosocial interventions are effective adjuncts to pharmacotherapy in delaying recurrences of bipolar disorder; however, to date their effects on life functioning have been given little attention. In a randomized trial, the authors examined the impact of intensive psychosocial treatment plus pharmacotherapy on the functional outcomes of patients with bipolar disorder over the 9 months following a depressive episode, according to an article in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Researhers say preventive steps can halve the number of manic episodes

Australian researchers have developed a treatment that halves the number of manic episodes experienced by people with bipolar disorder.

The team from the Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria says it is the first study that conclusively proves patients can control their mania.

"This is the first time that we are aware of in the world that we've been actually able to reduce manic episodes," said lead researcher David Castle. "We are very excited about the program's success."

Half of the 84 trial participants were given medication alone. The second group took medication but also underwent weekly therapy sessions that taught them how to recognise the early symptoms of a manic or depressive episode, and steps to prevent the event.

FDA approves Risperdal's use in children

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved a widely used adult psychiatric drug for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in children and adolescents.

The action permits use of Risperdal for schizophrenia in youths aged 13 to 17 and for bipolar disorder in those aged 10 to 17, FDA said.

Omega-3s shown in study to help with depression

Many of us have heard about the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in our diet. Now there's research that shows omega-3s have anti-depressant effects in the body. That's the latest test results from a study in Tawan.
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Doctors discovered global areas that have a large consumption of omega-3s show a lower prevalence of depression.

Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids are fish and fish oil, as well as flax seed oil.

Researchers caution not to only use omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of depression and bipolar disorder.

The study appears in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Some say rise in diagnosis of bipolar in children driven by drug company desires to raise sales

Now the diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children is rising, Dr John Abramson, author of, "Overdosed America," says, and clearly it is the drug industry driving this medicalization to sell more products.

Army suicides at highest point in 26 years; 20 percent had mood disorders

Army soldiers committed suicide last year at the highest rate in 26 years, and more than a quarter did so while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, a new military report says.

The 99 suicides in 2006, which included 28 soldiers deployed to the two wars, amounted to a rate of 17.3 per 100,000, the report said. The average rate over the last 26 years has been 12.3 per 100,000.

Preliminary numbers for the first half of this year indicate the number of suicides could decline Army-wide but increase among troops serving in the wars, officials said.

Failed personal relationships, legal and financial problems and the stress of their jobs were factors motivating the soldiers to commit suicide, the report shows.

About a quarter of those who killed themselves had a history of at least one psychiatric disorder. Of those, about 20% had been diagnosed with a mood disorder such as bipolar disorder or depression; and 8% had been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, including post traumatic stress disorder.

Firearms were the most common method of suicide.

New study looks at risks of antypical antipsycotics in pregnancy

It has long been known that certain bipolar drugs, such as Depakote and Lithium, were dangerous during certain stages of pregnancy. Now, new research is suggesting that atypical antipsychotic used to prevent post-partum mania may put babies at risk.

The study reviewed women who had taken an antypical antipsychotic or haloperidol during pregnancy. Maternal and umbilical cord plasma samples were collected and delivery and were analyzed for medication concentrations.
All foru antipsychotics demonstrated incomplete placental passage. The data suggested fetal exposure and wide variety of outcomes depending on the medications.

Sleeping disorder pill examined for use to combat bipolar depression

A preliminary study of 85 patients with bipolar disorder shows that a drug used to treat patients with sleep disorders, according to an article in Science Daily, might also control the depressive symptoms associated with bipolar disorder.

At least 44 percent of the participants in the study reported improved symptoms, a noteworthy improvement for a disorder in which new treatments are needed, according to the study's author, Mark Frye, M.D., director of the Mayo Clinic Mood Disorders Clinic and Research Program.

The study appears in the August 2007 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

"There are very few treatments for the depressive phase of bipolar disorder and as a result there is an urgent need to evaluate potential new therapeutics," says Dr. Frye. "Mood stabilizers in general are better at treating mania than depression, but the depressive phase of the illness is far more common. We really need continued research in this area."

Links to other articles: Associated Content; DG News

Wake-up pill under study to treat patients with bipolar depression

A preliminary study of 85 patients with bipolar disorder shows that a drug used to treat patients with sleep disorders might also control the depressive symptoms associated with bipolar disorder. At least 44 percent of the participants in the study reported improved symptoms, a noteworthy improvement for a disorder in which new treatments are needed, according to the study's author, Mark Frye, M.D., director of the Mayo Clinic Mood Disorders Clinic and Research Program.