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. 2007 Mar;98(3):263-6.
doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2006.08.006. Epub 2006 Sep 1.

Is bipolar II disorder misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder in children?

R P Bhargava Raman  1 , S P Sheshadri, Y C Janardhan Reddy, S C Girimaji, S Srinath, V N G P Raghunandan
Affiliations

Is bipolar II disorder misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder in children?

R P Bhargava Raman et al. J Affect Disord. 2007 Mar.

Abstract

Objectives: To estimate the lifetime prevalence of bipolar II disorder in children and adolescents presenting with DSM-IV major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods: Sixty-one consecutive subjects aged < or =18 years attending the outpatient services of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric (CAP) services of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India with a diagnosis of MDD were evaluated using the Missouri Assessment of Genetics Interview for children (MAGIC). Two psychiatrists, one of whom was a child psychiatrist diagnosed hypomania by consensus.

Results: Twelve children had a past episode of hypomania (20%), which was hitherto undiagnosed clinically.

Limitations: We recruited subjects from a psychiatric hospital, thus limiting the generalizability of the finding. Sample size was relatively small and assessments were cross-sectional.

Conclusions: : Our study shows that bipolar II disorder is often misdiagnosed as MDD in children. The study also highlights that the chance of diagnosing bipolarity is enhanced by using semi-structured interview in routine clinical practice.

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