What Are the Causes of Children Having Bipolar Disorder?
If you have a child with bipolar disorder–periods of manic and depressive moods swings–you may find yourself wondering why this has happened and where this disorder has come from. Though the exact cause is unknown, there is a lot of research that points to contributing factors.GeneticsSince bipolar disorder seems to runs in families, there has been much research to determine whether there is a genetic factor that causes this disorder. Twin studies have revealed that genetics are a factor in this disorder, but do not alone determine whether a person will develop bipolar disorder.EnvironmentalA child’s environment is a strong factor in determining mental health and therefore may be a cause of bipolar disorder in a child that has a predisposition for it. For example, children raised in poverty are more likely than middle- and upper- middle-class children to suffer from mental illness.BiologicalBrain scans of children with bipolar disorder show that development is different than children
