Some debate in the literature exists specific to whether or not bipolar disorder can be diagnosed in childhood. While some have anecdotally argued that it is not possible for children to develop bipolar disorder (as normal features of childhood confound the diagnosis), other sources argue that pediatric bipolar disorder is a fact.

In this Discussion, you engage in the debate theory that bipolar depression can or cannot be diagnosed in children and adolescents.

Some debate in the literature exists specific to whether or not bipolar disorder can be diagnosed in childhood. While some have anecdotally argued that it is not possible for children to develop bipolar disorder (as normal features of childhood confound the diagnosis), other sources argue that pediatric bipolar disorder is a fact.

In this Discussion, you engage in a debate as to whether pediatric bipolar disorder is possible to diagnose.

                                                                     Assignment

· Evaluate diagnosis of pediatric bipolar depression disorder

· Analyze consequences to diagnosing/failing to diagnose pediatric bipolar

depression disorder

· The instructor wants you to take the position FOR and not against the issue of

diagnosing pediatric bipolar depression disorder.

· Review the Learning Resources concerning the controversy over the diagnosis of

pediatric bipolar depression disorder.

· Based on the position FOR, justify that pediatric bipolar depression disorder

should be diagnose

N.B: YOU ARE DEBATING FOR.

                                                     Learning Resources

Required Readings

Sadock, B. J., Sadock, V. A., & Ruiz, P. (2014). Kaplan & Sadock’s synopsis of psychiatry: Behavioral sciences/clinical psychiatry (11th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.

• Chapter 31, “Child Psychiatry” (pp. 1226–1253)

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

• “Bipolar and Related      Disorders”
• “Depressive Disorders”

Zeanah, C. H., Chesher, T., & Boris, N. W. (2016). Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with reactive attachment disorder and disinhibited social engagement disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 55(11), 990–103. Retrieved from http://www.jaacap.com/article/S0890-8567(16)31183-2/pdf

Stahl, S. M. (2014). Prescriber’s Guide: Stahl’s Essential Psychopharmacology (5th ed.). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. 

                     Optional Resources

Thapar, A., Pine, D. S., Leckman, J. F., Scott, S., Snowling, M. J., & Taylor, E. A. (2015). Rutter’s child and adolescent psychiatry (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell.

• Chapter 62, “Bipolar      Disorder in Childhood” (pp. 858–873)
• Chapter 63, “Depressive Disorders in Childhood      and Adolescence” (pp. 874–892)