What is bipolar disorder in children and teens?
When children older than age 6 or teens have bipolar disorder, they have mood swings with extreme ups and downs. When they are up, they have brief, intense outbursts or feel irritable or extremely happy ( mania ) several times almost every day. They have a lot of energy and a high activity level. When they are down, they feel depressed and sad. In the past, experts thought bipolar disorder was the same in children and adults. But symptoms in children and teens are different from those in adults, and they need different treatment.
